STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1441

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1377

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1377, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to support early intervention services for children from birth to age three and improve the social-emotional and behavioral outcomes for children from birth to age five.

More specifically, this measure appropriates moneys to:

     (1)  Develop the specifications, pricing, and an implementation plan for a web-based data system in the Early Intervention Section of the Department of Health; and

     (2)  Establish a permanent coordinator position in the Children with Special Health Needs Branch of the Department of Health to improve social-emotional and behavioral outcomes for children from birth to age five.   

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Early Intervention Coordinating Council, Aloha United Way, and Easter Seals Hawaii.  Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii has served as a pioneer and leader in population-based child health promotion, identification, and intervention programs.  The Department of Health provides early intervention services through nineteen state and purchase-of-service programs managed by the Department's Early Intervention Section.  Your Committee finds that the Early Intervention Section's current data system is antiquated and does not have web-based capability for real-time access to data.

     Your Committee believes that the web-based data system and coordinator position supported by this measure would enable more effective and efficient state early intervention services for children who have developmental delays or are at risk for delays.  In addition, this measure will improve outcomes for children from birth to age five because intervention may reduce the need for more intensive services later in life.

     Your Committee has amended this measure:

     (1)  To clarify that the child outcomes to be improved include developmental outcomes, rather than only social-emotional and behavioral outcomes; and

     (2)  By adding an additional responsibility to the description of the statewide coordinator position, which is to promote follow-up for children who are not eligible for services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1377, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1377, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair