STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1298

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 1170

      S.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 Health and Human Services & Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1170, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate or authorize temporary assistance for needy families funds for the healthy start program, including enhanced healthy start.

     Specifically, these additional funds will address budget shortfalls and implement recommended program improvements for the healthy start program, such as hiring a child development or clinical specialist and training providers.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from Parents and Children Together, the Good Beginnings Alliance, the Hawaii Early Intervention Coordinating Council, and the Hawaii Down Syndrome Congress.  The Department of Health and the Department of Human Services submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committees find that the healthy start program and the enhanced healthy start program have been important resources for Hawaii's families by providing voluntary home visits to promote healthy child development and by providing services to families at risk for abuse and neglect.  Your Committees further find that the appropriation made by this measure will allow the healthy start program to make programmatic changes, such as hiring additional child development and clinical specialists, providing additional training to staff, increasing prenatal intake, and focusing on risk factors identified in the family stress checklist.

     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 are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1170, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair

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