STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1640

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 1522

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1522, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve access to and raise the quality of the health services available to the State's public school students by appropriating funds to the Department of Education for the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program.

The University of Hawaii, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and Hui for Excellence in Education supported this measure. The Department of Education and Hawaii Primary Care Association submitted comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Statutorily establishing the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program within the Department of Education and the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program Special Fund;

(2) Allowing school health aides to assist students in administering oral and topical medication, and in emergency situations, other premeasured medication, under certain circumstances, including if:

(A) The medication has been prescribed by a licensed advanced practice registered nurse subject to the scope of section 457-2.7, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(B) The administration of the medication is approved by the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program;

(3) Appropriating funds for a school health services coordinator within the Department of Health and a school health services coordinator within the Department of Human Services;

(4) Appropriating funds for an evidence-based vision screening and eye assessment tool appropriate for children in kindergarten through grade twelve as part of the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program;

(5) Conditioning the release of funds appropriated to the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program upon the Program's demonstration of success in addressing certain adverse effects upon students;

(6) Deleting the amount of the appropriation to the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program and changing its effective date to July 1, 2052, to encourage further discussion; and

(7) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1522, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1522, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair