STAND. COM. REP. NO.  608

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1830

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services & Housing and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1830 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide a safe haven for newborns by:

     (1)  Providing immunity from prosecution for persons leaving an unharmed newborn at a hospital, fire station, or police station;

     (2)  Providing immunity from liability for personnel who receive the newborn; and

     (3)  Requiring written information on the family medical history of the child.

     The Hawaii Family Support Institute, Hawaii Family Forum, Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Human Services provided comments.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Allowing emergency medical services personnel to receive a newborn child under the protection this measure allows;

     (2)  Requiring personnel to make a reasonable effort to obtain certain information pertaining to the child from the person leaving the child; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services & Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1830, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1830, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services & Housing and Health,

____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair

____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair