STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1400

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 137

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.R. No. 137 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO FUND BREAST CANCER AND CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING FOR LOW-INCOME WOMEN IN HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Governor to fund breast cancer and cervical cancer screening for low‑income women in Hawaii.

     The University of Hawai‘i System submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Health submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure.

     The Hawaii Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program was established in the Department of Health in 1997, and provides access to screening for populations disproportionately affected by cervical cancer, namely Native Hawaiian, Filipino and Pacific Island women, and women with no medical coverage.  The Committee finds that decreasing federal funding for this program will likely lead to fewer routine screenings for those women who truly need the assistance.  This measure requests the Governor to establish a program to provide coverage for cancer screening for women fifty to sixty‑four years of age who are low‑income or who lack or have insufficient health insurance.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 137 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Health.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair