STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2769

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2024

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2024, 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 ensure children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing receive early intervention services to support their communication development.

More specifically, the measure requires that diagnostic audiologic evaluations results for:

(1) Newborns who did not pass newborn hearing screening; and

(2) Infants whose hearing status changes,

be provided to the Department of Health.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Executive Office on Early Learning, Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawaii Medical Association, Special Education Advisory Council, and one individual.

Your Committee believes that consistent reporting of diagnostic audiologic evaluation results to the Department of Health would allow the newborn hearing screening program to ensure that any infant who does not pass a hearing screening would receive a diagnostic audiologic evaluation, appropriate follow-up, and support. Your Committee also believes that timely diagnostic audiologic evaluation results would facilitate referrals of deaf and hard-of-hearing infants to early intervention services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2024, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2024, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair