STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1077

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   S.B. No. 1139

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1139, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII HOME VISITING PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote healthy child development and strengthen families by:

(1)  Establishing the Hawaii Home Visiting Program within the Department of Health to identify families of newborns at risk for poor health and safety outcomes, including child abuse and neglect, through hospital-based screening and home visiting services; and

(2)  Appropriating funds for the Hawaii Home Visiting Program.

The Department of Health, Executive Office on Early Learning, Child & Family Service, Hawaii Family Support Institute, March of Dimes Foundation, Hawaii Chapter, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and several individuals supported this measure.

     Your Committees note that this measure is substantially similar to H.B. No. 908, H.D. 2, which passed out of the House Committee on Finance and crossed-over to the Senate.  After due consideration, your Committees find that the substantive and nonsubstantive differences found in H.B. No. 908, H.D. 2, provide a preferable alternative in accomplishing the purpose of this bill as received.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the tools used to provide proactive, universal screening of newborns' families under the Hawaii Home Visitation Program be validated for identifying levels of risk for poor health and safety outcomes and child abuse and neglect;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments to conform to the provisions of H.B. No. 908, H.D. 2.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1139, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1139, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Chair

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair