STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2010

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1140

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1140, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Amend the newborn hearing screening statute to mandate reporting of diagnostic audiologic evaluation results to improve hearing follow-up of infants; and

(2) Update definitions and terminology.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committee finds 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 Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Department of Health shall adopt rules for the reporting of all infant hearing screening results, not just those results from infants identified as deaf or hard of hearing;

(2) Clarifying that the Department of Health shall adopt rules for the reporting of diagnostic audiologic evaluation and results for infants who fail newborn hearing screening; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1140, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1140, S.D. 2.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair