STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1716

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.R. No. 116

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing, to which was referred H.R. No. 116 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO MAKE HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS IMMUNIZATION AVAILABLE TO INDIGENT PATIENTS AND THROUGH THE TEEN VAX PROGRAM, AND URGING INSURERS TO OFFER HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS IMMUNIZATION TO FEMALE POLICYHOLDERS ELEVEN TO TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF AGE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to prevent the incidence of cervical cancer among women in the State and improve the overall health of Hawaii's population.

     Specifically, this measure:

(1)  Requests the Department of Health to include human papillomavirus immunization among the services available to indigents;

(2)  Requests the Department of Health to include human papillomavirus immunization in the Teen VAX Program; and

(3)  Urges health insurers in the State to offer coverage for human papillomavirus vaccinations to female policyholders and covered individuals between eleven and twenty-six years of age, without a deductible.

The Department of Health and one concerned individual submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committees find that that up to seventy-five per cent of women will become infected with one or more of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus types at some point during adulthood.  Infections with a small subset of high-risk human papillomavirus types can lead to the development of cervical cancer.  Human papillomavirus vaccines target the two most common high risk virus types that cause about seventy per cent of all cervical cancer, and vaccination has been shown to offer one hundred per cent protection against the development of cervical pre-cancers and genital warts caused by the human papillomavirus types in the vaccine. 

     Accordingly, your Committee further find that making human papillomavirus vaccinations more widely available through public health programs and expanded insurance coverage, would improve the overall health of Hawaii's population and reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 116 and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ Karl Rhoads, Acting Chair &   Vice Chair

____________________________ JOHN MIZUNO, Acting Chair &   Vice Chair