STAND. COM. REP. NO. 803

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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the results of diagnostic audiologic evaluations of infants who do not pass the hearing screening test or are diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing up to the age of three years to be reported to the Department of Health.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Disability and Communication Access Board, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawai‘i Early Intervention Coordinating Council, Early Childhood Action Strategy, and Hawai‘i Speech-Language Hearing Association.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair