STAND. COM. REP. NO.  184-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2881

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2881 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure prenatal services are provided to women who are afraid to visit conventional hospitals and clinics due to a drug or alcohol addiction they are struggling with by making the perinatal clinic (Clinic) first established by Act 248, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, permanent, appropriating funding for the clinic, and placing the Clinic within the Department of Human Services (DHS).

     The Hawaii Medical Association, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, and a concerned individual supported this bill.  DHS opposed provisions in this measure placing the clinic within DHS.  The Department of Health submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill leaving the Clinic in 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.

     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 H.B. No. 2881, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2881, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.

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