STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2272

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2790

       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. 2790 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to extend the time frame under which already appropriated funds may be used to continue the operation of a perinatal addiction treatment clinic.

     The measure also:

     (1)  Reduces the amount appropriated from $200,000 to $100,000;

     (2)  Transfers the responsibility of operating the clinic from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine to the Department of Human Services; and

     (3)  Makes the clinic permanent.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Director of the Perinatal Addiction Treatment of Hawaii Clinic; Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii; The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii; and one private citizen.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services and Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will support the State's interest in providing comprehensive prenatal, delivery, and post partum care, and social services to pregnant women with a history of substance abuse.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Reinstating the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health responsibility to operate the clinic under a contract administered by the Department of Human Services;

     (2)  Reinstating the requirement that the clinic provide delivery care;

     (3)  Increasing the appropriated amount from $100,000 to $300,000; and

     (4)  Making technical amendments to accurately reflect the appropriate department and program names of the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

     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. 2790, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2790, 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