STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1011

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 136

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 136 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING TASK FORCE TO REVIEW EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING PILOT PROJECTS, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING SYSTEM IN HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health to:

     (1)  Convene a Developmental Screening Task Force to review Aloha United Way's Early Childhood Developmental Screening pilot projects and the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Disability Studies' evaluation of those pilot project; and

     (2)  Make recommendations for the development of an integrated universal early childhood developmental screening system in Hawaii.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Aloha United Way, Learning Disabilities Association of Hawaii, Good Beginnings Alliance, and The American Academy of Pediatrics – Hawaii Chapter.

     Your Committees find that approximately 20,000 children are in special education tracks in Hawaii's school system.  Your Committees further find that early detection and intervention with children experiencing developmental delays can divert children from special education tracks to normal tracks.  Your Committees also find that identifying developmental delays early allows children and their families to have access to necessary treatment and services.  This leads to better health and education outcomes for children and their families.

     Your Committees understand that the Department of Health Family Health Services Division has a Maternal Child Health Services Block Grant under Title V of the Social Security Act.  Based on testimony received by your Committees, there is an existing work group under this grant that will be working to promote early childhood screening and development.  Your Committees further find that the Family Health Services Division is planning to convene a series of collaborative meetings with state, community, professional, and family partners to address early childhood screening and follow up services.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requesting the existing Department of Health Work Group, rather than a Developmental Screening Task Force, to review the pilot projects and the evaluation of those projects;

     (2)  Requesting that representatives from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Center on Disability Studies and Aloha United Way be added as members of the Department of Health Work Group;

     (3)  Requesting the Department of Health to report to the Legislature based on the Work Group's review, rather than the Developmental Screening Task Force's review;

     (4)  Changing its title to reflect its amended purpose; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 136, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Health, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 136, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Education,

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair