STAND. COM. REP. NO. 303

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 844

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.B. No. 844 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DISCLOSURE OF VITAL STATISTICS RECORDS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow for more timely investigation of crimes when public health statistics records are needed, while protecting the privacy of the records.

     Specifically, this measure authorizes the Department of Health to permit law enforcement officers to inspect public health statistics records and for the Department of Health to issue a certified copy of any such record or part thereof to law enforcement.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Attorney General, the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Maui, City and County of Honolulu Police Department, and one individual.

     Copies of written testimony are available for review on the Legislature's website.

     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. 844 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair