STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3345

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 106

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 106 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER AS SEPSIS AWARENESS MONTH IN HAWAII, AND THE THIRTEENTH DAY IN SEPTEMBER OF EVERY YEAR AS HAWAII SEPSIS DAY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to recognize the month of September as Sepsis Awareness Month in Hawaii and the thirteenth day in September of every year as Hawaii Sepsis Day.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Patty Rohlfing Memorial Committee, and seven individuals.

     Your Committee finds that sepsis is a serious medical condition that is caused by an overwhelming immune response to infection, whereby immune chemicals released into the blood to combat infection trigger widespread inflammation.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sepsis affects more than one million Americans each year, kills up to half of them, and is the ninth-leading cause of disease-related death in the nation.

     Your Committee further finds that in 2011, the Sepsis Alliance established the month of September as Sepsis Awareness Month, and in 2012, the Global Sepsis Alliance declared September 13 to be World Sepsis Day, bringing together people in the health care community and members of the public to recognize that sepsis is a global problem.  Given the severe danger and widespread occurrence of this illness, more attention at the local level should be drawn to sepsis and sepsis awareness to ensure the health and well-being of Hawaii residents and visitors.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 106 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair