STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1708

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 37

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 37 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO COLLABORATE WITH THE ORGAN DONOR CENTER OF HAWAII TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS OF ORGAN DONATION IN THE STATE OF HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to promote organ donation in the State by urging the Department of Education and the Department of Health to collaborate on increasing awareness efforts of the benefits of organ donation.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Health, the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii, and two individuals.

     Your Committees find that successful organ and tissue donations drastically improve the lives of recipients and in many cases save lives.  Your Committees further find that organ and tissue donations can be made with minimal or diminished negative impact on donors, facilitated through efforts by several states to alleviate some of the financial burden that may be involved.  Unfortunately, although there are currently over 94,000 individuals on the nation's organ transplant waitlist, only less than fifty per cent of potential donors consent to being possible organ or tissue donors.  As a result, thousands of individuals die each year because they are unable to receive necessary transplants. 

     Your Committees believe that a lack of awareness or exposure to misinformation regarding organ and tissue transplants is a barrier to more successful organ donations and transplants.  The Departments of Health and Education should join forces to educate students and facilitate not only increased awareness of the facts and benefits of organ and tissue donation, but also to help increase the number of potential donors.  The Legislature remains committed to supporting organ and tissue donations and will continue, through this as well as future measures, to address ways to make organ and tissue donations more feasible.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 37 and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health,

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair