STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3901

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 986

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require diagnostic audiologic evaluation results of newborn hearing screening evaluations, or infants whose hearing status changes, to be provided to the Department of Health.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!, Early Childhood Action Strategy, and Special Education Advisory Council. Your Committees received comments on this measure from Kaiser Permanente Hawaii.

Your Committees find that the State's Public Health Screening Program helps deaf or hard of hearing children reach their developmental milestones and be language-ready for school. However, the Department of Health Newborn Hearing Screening Program does not receive diagnostic audiologic evaluation results for all newborns who fail to pass newborn hearing screening. This measure ensures consistent reporting of diagnostic audiologic evaluation results for all infants who fail to pass hearing screening and facilitates the appropriate follow-up and support through early intervention services.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the Department of Health shall adopt rules relating to the reporting of diagnostic audiologic evaluation results for those infants who fail newborn hearing screenings or have been identified as deaf or hard of hearing; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair