STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1159

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 56

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 56 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO INCREASE EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND ERADICATE CERVICAL CANCER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to prevent and eradicate cervical cancer by requesting the Department of Health to increase educational efforts regarding cervical cancer screening and awareness by both men and all women.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the American Cancer Society.  The Department of Health submitted testimony supporting the intent of this measure.

     Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that all women should be educated on the importance of regular examinations that screen for early detection of cervical cancer.  Though the federal Food and Drug Administration has approved the first vaccine that prevents cervical cancer and other diseases in females with an efficacy rate of ninety-five to one-hundred per cent, early detection remains the best prevention of cervical cancer for women who have not had the vaccine.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of consistency, clarity, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 56, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 56, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair