STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3468

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 156

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 156 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO REVIEW THE EXISTING RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF SCREEN TIME AND MEDIA CONSUMPTION ON CHILDREN'S AND ADOLESCENTS' PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health and Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to:

(1) Review existing research on the impact of screen time and media consumption on children's and adolescents' physical, cognitive, and emotional health and policies implemented in other jurisdictions to address this issue; and

(2) Submit a report of their findings and recommendations to the Legislature including a list of key points from the research, potential policies to implement, plans for future agency actions, and an explanation of the division of responsibility between the Departments of Health and Commerce and Consumer Affairs with respect to this issue.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i and sixteen individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Office of Consumer Protection. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committees find that the current levels of screen time by children and adolescents pose potential risks to the health of Hawaii's youth. Your Committees further find that existing research on screen use may provide a cost-effective guide to health policy around this issue.

Your Committees have heard the concern of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Department of Health that the Departments lack the resources and trained staff to handle all of the concerns raised by this measure. Your Committees find that the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs may not be the appropriate agency to address the concerns raised by this measure. Your Committees also find that the Department of Health's Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division cooperates with state agencies, schools, nonprofit organizations, and members of the community to address the physical health and nutrition of children and adolescents. The Division's mission is closely aligned with the purpose and intent of this measure, but does not include developmental or psychosocial aspects of the health of children and adolescents. Your Committees find that the Division's cooperative arrangements may be useful vehicles to study the effect of screen use on the physical health and nutrition of children and adolescents. Amendments to this measure are therefore necessary to address the concerns raised by the Department of Health and to shift the focus from mental and psychosocial health to physical health and nutrition.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Removing references to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs;

(2) Amending the findings to highlight ties between screen use and obesity and lack of physical activity to reflect the change in focus from mental and psychosocial health to physical health and nutrition;

(3) Requesting the Department of Health to submit its report no later than twenty days prior to the Regular Session of 2020, rather than 2019;

(4) Amending the contents of the requested report to reflect the change in focus from mental and psychosocial health to physical health and nutrition, including preparation of a summary of findings and recommendations of a future convening of nutrition and physical activity stakeholders;

(5) Amending its title to reflect its amended purpose; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 156, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 156, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services,

________________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair