STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1162-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2194

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 2194, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide for the early detection and treatment of congenital heart defects on newborns by:

(1)  Requiring birthing facilities to perform a pulse oximetry test for critical congenital heart defects, as well as other procedures specified by American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, on every newborn in its care prior to discharge from the birthing facility; and

(2)  Appropriating funds for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 for a program for critical congenital heart defect screening on newborns using pulse oximetry.

The Queen's Health Systems and the March of Dimes Hawaii Chapter supported this measure.  The Department of Health, American Heart Association, Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, and an individual commented on this measure.

     It is your Committee's understanding that Hawaii Health Systems Corporation facilities are the only birthing facilities that are not conducting critical congenital heart defect screening on newborns using pulse oximetry at this time.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Requiring birthing facilities to perform pulse oximetry tests or other medically accepted tests that measure the percentage of blood oxygen saturation as approved by the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics;

(2)  Requiring birthing facilities to report certain data and information regarding critical congenital heart defect screening to the Department of Health for quality improvement purposes;

(3)  Appropriating funds for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 to the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to conduct critical congenital heart defect screening on newborns at its facilities;

(4)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; 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 S.B. No. 2194, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2194, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair