STAND. COM. REP. NO. 493-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2198

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2198 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure the health of students by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to permit the self-administration of medication by a student for asthma, anaphylaxis, or other potentially life-threatening illnesses, under certain conditions;

(2) Allowing students permitted to self-administer medication to carry an inhaler or auto-injectable epinephrine;

(3) Requiring at least one nebulizer in each public school; and

(4) Requiring DOE to ensure that annual asthma education opportunities are made available to school personnel.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association, Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure. DOE and the Hawaii Government Employees Association supported this bill with amendments.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Inserting a provision that employees or agents of DOE may confiscate a student's medication, inhaler, or auto-injectable epinephrine if the student's self-administration of the medication exceeds the student's prescribed dosage or if others are endangered by the student's medication, inhaler, or auto-injectable epinephrine;

(2) Removing all references to nebulizers;

(3) Removing the provision requiring asthma education opportunities; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2198, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2198,

H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Education,

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair