STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2085

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2051

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2051 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for hearing and vision screening for newborns, children, and teenagers.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education, Hawaii Pacific Health, The International Association of Lions Clubs, and one individual.  Comments on the measure were submitted by the Department of Health. 

     Your Committee finds that continuous hearing and vision screening programs are critical for identifying a wide range of health needs in children that could worsen or become permanent, and to identify any barriers that would impair a child's ability to learn.  Your Committee also wishes to note that the International Association of Lions Clubs and Rotary Clubs have been doing excellent work in the community conducting vision screening programs for children, and would be willing to partner with the Department of Health to continue their work.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Indicating that the Department of Health shall partner with the Department of Education, and may partner with community service organizations including the International Association of Lions Clubs and Rotary Clubs, to carry out the hearing and vision screening; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2051, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2051, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair