STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1313

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1431

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1431, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VIRAL HEPATITIS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish and appropriate funds for a Hepatitis Prevention Program within the Department of Health to address morbidity and mortality due to hepatitis B and C;

(2) Require the Department of Health to develop and implement an educational program to inform the public on how to identify and prevent hepatitis and aid in its early diagnosis;

(3) Require the Department of Health to develop a comprehensive statewide hepatitis prevention plan; and

(4) Repeal outdated provisions related to hepatitis.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Hep Free Hawaii; Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center; AlohaCare; and nine individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Libertarian Party of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that hepatitis infections, and particularly hepatitis B and C viral infections, are associated with earlier deaths and higher death rates in the State. Your Committee further finds that existing strategies such as universal hepatitis screening and immunization; culturally-based care coordination; and safe and effective treatments, such as the hepatitis C cure, can be used to eliminate viral hepatitis in Hawaii. Your Committee believes that providing funding and establishing positions to address all types of viral hepatitis, as proposed by this measure, will allow the State to scale up its existing work for the prevention and treatment of hepatitis in Hawaii. Your Committee notes that funding the Department of Health's efforts now is important as the current threats to federal public health funding endanger the Department's existing hepatitis elimination efforts.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $827,844.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1431, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1431, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair