STAND. COM. REP. NO. 511-14
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2014
RE: H.B. No. 1776
H.D. 2
Honorable Joseph M. Souki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Seventh State Legislature
Regular Session of 2014
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1776, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to support the health and well-being of students by:
(1) Making minor housekeeping amendments to the requirement for a physical examination as a prerequisite for initial attendance at any school in the State;
(2) Requiring the Board of Education to:
(A) Establish a pilot program in a complex area, under which no child shall attend kindergarten, sixth grade, or ninth grade unless the child presents verification of the physical examination to the school within six months of the date of attendance; and
(B) Submit a report of its findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation, to the Legislature prior to the 2016 Regular Session; and
(3) Appropriating funds in an unspecified amount to carry out the purposes of this measure.
In your Committee's deliberations at the public hearings held on this measure and on House Bill No. 2456, your Committee noted the testimony and discussion emphasizing the positive effects of good oral and physical health on the overall health and well-being of students. Regular physical and dental examinations are critical to early detection and treatment of illness and disease and the promotion of good health. Your Committee also believes that including dental examinations in the existing medical requirements for school entry will support student learning and achievement by fostering a healthy student population and healthy school environment.
Establishing a pilot program as an initial step in extending physical examination requirements beyond initial entry into Hawaii's schools will provide useful information for future legislative actions and for wider implementation of these medical examination requirements. Information obtained through the findings and recommendations from the pilot program will serve as a guide in future discussions to support a culture of wellness and preventive health care in schools.
Your Committee has amended this bill by:
(1) Broadening the requirement that children obtain a physical examination to attend any school for the first time in the State to include obtaining both a physical examination and a dental examination and making conforming amendments to related statutory sections;
(2) Extending the time period from 30 days to 90 days in which a child must complete the required immunizations and physical and dental examinations to be admitted to school;
(3) Amending requirements for the pilot program to require a physical examination upon entry to the seventh grade and to require that sixth grade students and their parents be informed of the seventh grade pilot program and of options related to obtaining the required physical examination;
(4) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and
(5) 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. 1776, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1776, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair |
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