STAND. COM. REP. NO. 510

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1111

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1111 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY PLANNING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this Act is to provide an integrated and comprehensive approach to family planning and contraceptive services for Hawaii's women, teens, and men by:

     (1)  Providing funding for family planning and contraception services; and

     (2)  Providing funding for family planning health education and outreach services.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health (DOH); Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; Planned Parenthood of Hawaii; Hawaii Youth Services Network; March of Dimes Hawaii Chapter; Hawaii Primary Care Association; Bay Clinic, Inc.; Kalihi-Palama Health Center; Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; Sestak Rehabilitation Services; Family Support Services of West Hawaii; Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii; Hawaii State Democratic Women's Caucus; Planned Parenthood of Hawaii Action Network; and seven individuals.  Testimony in opposition was received from Pro‑Family Hawaii; Hawaii Right to Life; Maui Chapter of Hawaii Right to Life; Christian Voice of Hawaii; and two individuals.

     In 2006, H.C.R. No. 226, H.D. 1, requested the DOH to convene a working group to determine family planning funding needs for legislative consideration.  To effectively improve the State's reproductive health services and reduce unintended pregnancies in Hawaii, the working group recommended that clinical services, health education, and outreach services be expanded and upgraded as a system to improve access to these currently fragmented services.

     The working group found that Hawaii reduced its state funds for publicly supported family planning services by ninety per cent in the mid nineties and has never reinstated this funding.  In addition, Hawaii currently has the twelfth highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation.  The working group also recommended that increased public awareness of the health benefits of planned pregnancy, use of contraceptives, child  spacing, and clinic locations is crucial to reducing Hawaii's unintended pregnancy rate.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the specific amount appropriated, but recommends that the original amounts of $2,443,750, for contraceptive services and $1,540,000, for family planning health education and outreach services be reinstated by the Committee on Ways and Means.  Technical amendments were also made for the purpose of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1111, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1111, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair