STAND. COM. REP. NO.  76

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 507

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 507 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to work toward preventing falls and fall-related injuries among Hawaii's elderly by:

     (1)  Establishing the position of a Statewide Fall Prevention and Early Detection Coordinator within the Department of Health (DOH); and

     (2)  Appropriating an unspecified amount of funds for this position.

     The Elderly Affairs Division of the City and County of Honolulu, Injury Prevention Advisory Committee, Project Dana, Child & Family Service, St. Francis Healthcare System, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  DOH supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance opposed this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 507, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 507, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair