STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1716

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 59

H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 59, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING ONGOING COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT A STATEWIDE STRATEGY TO ELIMINATE VIRAL HEPATITIS TYPES A, B, AND C IN HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to recognize and support ongoing efforts by state agencies and private organizations to implement the "Hep Free 2030" statewide strategy to eliminate viral hepatitis types A, B, and C in Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, Hep Free Hawai‘i, Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation, Hawai‘i Public Health Association, and twenty individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that approximately sixty-three thousand people in Hawaii are living with viral hepatitis types B or C, and many persons may be unaware that they are infected. On July 28, 2020, the United States Senators for Hawaii, Lieutenant Governor, and the Harm Reduction Services Branch of the Department of Health issued "Hep Free 2030", a ten-year statewide strategy to help eliminate viral hepatitis types A, B, and C in Hawaii. This measure recognizes and supports the ongoing efforts to implement the Hep Free 2030 statewide strategy and requests the House Committee on Health, Human Services, and Homelessness and Senate Committee on Health to convene joint informational briefings to assess the progress of the Hep Free 2030 statewide strategy implementation and to receive any proposed legislation that the Executive Director of Hep Free Hawaii may submit for the Regular Session of 2022.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 59, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair