STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2055

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1141

S.D. 1

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. 1141, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEARING AND VISION PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the hearing and vision program statute to increase the early identification of children with hearing or vision loss by establishing consistent protocols for hearing and vision screening and follow-up, screener training, and data collection for quality improvement.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Executive Office on Early Learning, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Rainbow Family 808, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the early identification of hearing and vision loss, with appropriate follow-up services, is critical for the development of children's language and communication skills needed for learning in school.  The Department of Health operated a hearing and vision program for school children from 1978 to 1995, but the program ended due to budget reductions and with the assumption that primary care providers would provide the hearing and vision screening.  Currently, primary care providers and community programs lack consistency regarding protocols for hearing and vision screening and follow-up; screeners vary in their training and skills for conducting screenings; and there is no uniform data collection for quality improvement.  This measure improves hearing and vision screening for children in the State by establishing consistent protocols for screenings and comprehensive data collecting and reporting.

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. 1141, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair