STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1279-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   S.B. No. 2394

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2394 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INFLUENZA IMMUNIZATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish influenza vaccination requirements for health care workers.

     Specifically, this measure, among other things:

     (1)  Requires hospitals to ensure that health care workers receive the influenza vaccination as a precondition to employment and, subsequently, on an annual basis;

     (2)  Requires hospitals to provide health care workers with information on the influenza vaccination; and

     (3)  Exempts health care workers from receiving an influenza vaccination if the health care worker has a condition contraindicated for the vaccination, holds a sincere religious belief opposing the vaccination, or there is an insufficient supply of vaccine.

The Department of Health, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Hawaii State Center for Nursing, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Kapiolani Medical Specialists, Hawaii Pacific Health, Wilcox Memorial Hospital, Hawaii Chapter of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, CVS Health/Longs Drugs Hawaii, Walgreen Company, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Pali Momi, Hawaii Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, Board of Directors of the Hawaii Academy of Family Physicians, American Organization of Nurse Executives, Hawaii Chapter, and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  Birth Sovereignty, the National Vaccine Information Center, Hawaii Nurses Association, OPEIU Local 50, and numerous individual testified in opposition.  Kaiser Permanente, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, and three individuals provided comments.

     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. 2394 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair