STAND. COM. REP. NO. 340-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2047

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2047 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a task force to:

(1) Identify therapies and home- and community-based care services that may benefit individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, including therapies and treatments that may benefit these persons as adults; and

(2) Make recommendations on how the State can best make these services available and accessible to persons having fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and their parents or caregivers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Psychological Association, and ten individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition.

Your Committee finds that fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is a public-health concern with significant and preventable personal, social, and economic effects. Far too often, persons with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder are ignored by public policy and do not receive necessary developmental-disability or mental-health services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a representative of the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health and a representative of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to the task force;

(2) Including the development of recommendations for a comprehensive solution through communitywide initiatives and strategic planning to the scope of the task force's study;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of 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. 2047, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2047, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair