STAND. COM. REP. NO.  658

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 455

      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 Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 455 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY PLANNING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide an integrated and comprehensive approach to family planning and contraceptive services for Hawaii's women, teens, and men by appropriating:

     (1)  $2,443,750 for family planning and contraception services; and

     (2)  $1,540,000 to:

(A)  Increase the family planning health educator contracts to full-time;

(B)  Double the number of health educators statewide;

(C)  Provide for educational materials, multi-media equipment, and training; and

(D)  Add new and innovative outreach services for hard-to-reach populations.

     Planned Parenthood of Hawaii, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Planned Parenthood of Hawaii's Action Network, Hawaii State Democratic Women's Caucus, March of Dimes Hawaii Chapter, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Kalihi Palama Health Center, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Hawaii Women Work!, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Japanese American Citizens League – Honolulu Chapter, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  Pro-family Hawaii, Hawaii Right to Life, and several concerned individuals opposed this measure.

     Your Committee finds that according to a report released in 2006 by the Guttmacher Institute, a leading national policy and research agency, Hawaii is ranked 50^th in the nation in public funding for women accessing contraceptive services and supplies.  The report shows that there is a need for significant support and improvement in the area of family planning.  Your Committee believes that funding provided by the State for family planning services should be used for educational programs and providing access to contraceptive services and not used to provide abortions.

     In an attempt to gain more insight into family planning services, your Committee has requested that Planned Parenthood of Hawaii provide your Committee with data regarding the number of abortions performed in Hawaii within the last few years and the number of people using family planning services to ensure healthy pregnancies.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Removing the appropriation amounts to facilitate further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 455, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 455, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair