STAND. COM. REP. NO. 417

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 986

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 986 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NEWBORN HEARING SCREENING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure that timely diagnostic audiologic evaluation results on newborns who did not pass newborn hearing screening evaluations, or infants whose hearing status changes, are provided to the Department of Health.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Disability and Communication Access Board, Executive Office on Early Learning, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Early Childhood Action Strategy.

Your Committee finds that allowing the State Newborn Hearing Screening Program to routinely access diagnostic hearing test results will lead to increased surveillance of infants who fail newborn hearing screenings and those who are confirmed with hearing loss, thus enabling these infants and children to receive early intervention services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 986, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair