STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2808

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2187

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 Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2187, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Include advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority in the list of health care professionals authorized to administer medication to public school students; and

(2) Require the administration of the medication to be approved by the Department of Health or other on-campus, school-based, health care provider pursuant to a written agreement with the Department of Education.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawai‘i--American Nurses Association, Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing, and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that this measure enables advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority to provide care to school-aged children, which helps reduce the impact of health issues that are otherwise barriers to learning. Your Committee recognizes that the assistance provided by school-based licensed health care professionals, including advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority, in the administration of medicine to students helps to decrease absenteeism and facilitate better self-management of chronic health conditions; increase parents' and guardians' time at work; and increase teachers' instructional time.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending language to reflect that some schools, through a written agreement with the Department of Education, have specialized licensed health care providers at the complex-area level; and

(2) 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 Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2187, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2187, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair