STAND. COM. REP. NO. 456

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1115

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1115 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERINATAL CARE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide comprehensive perinatal care on the island of Oahu to women who have a history of methamphetamine and other substance abuse.

     Specifically, this measure authorizes the carryover of funds in the amount of $200,000 that were originally appropriated under Act 248, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, for the 2006-2007 fiscal year to continue the funding for the operation of the perinatal pilot clinic at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii at Manoa during the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii Medical Association, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and one individual.  The Department of Human Services submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committees find that providing perinatal care to pregnant women with a history of substance abuse is vital to ensure the health of the child and the mother.  Your Committees further find that one of the barriers to women seeking perinatal care is fear of prosecution.  This program recognizes the importance of applying a public health approach to the issue of pregnant women who are substance abusers.

     Your Committees amended this measure by replacing the John A. Burns School of Medicine University Clinical Educational and Research Associates Program at the University of Hawaii Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health with the Department of Human Services as the expending agency.

     Your Committees further amended this measure by changing the effective date to June 30, 2007, for budgetary purposes.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1115, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1115, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair