STAND. COM. REP. NO.  571

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 458

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 458 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve the overall health of the population in the State and reduce the incidence of cervical and other cancers by requiring the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Health, to develop, and disseminate to the parents or guardians of all public school students entering the sixth grade, accurate, educational information on:

(1)  Human papillomavirus;

(2)  The connection between human papillomavirus and cervical cancer and human papillomavirus and other cancers and diseases; and

(3)  The availability of vaccines against human papillomavirus.

The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, American Association of University Women – Hawaii, Hawaii Women's Coalition, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Planned Parenthood of Hawaii, Democratic Party of Hawaii, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, and several individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Education supported the intent of this measure.  Two individuals opposed this measure.  The Department of Health submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the type of health issues each public school is required to provide information on to each parent or guardian of a student entering the sixth grade;

(2)  Requiring the Department of Health, rather than the Department of Education to develop the information;

(3)  Requiring the Department of Health to develop the information based on recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;

(4)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage 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. 458, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 458, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Education.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair