THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

981

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to health.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as the Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148).  The Affordable Care Act added section 511 to title V of the Social Security Act to create the maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting program grant to support development and implementation of evidence-based home visiting program models by states and other eligible entities.

     Home visiting is a prevention strategy used by states and communities to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable families of newborns who are at risk for adverse health, safety, and developmental outcomes.  Over recent decades, research on early brain development, including the impact of trauma on the developing brain, has pointed to the need for early intervention and prevention to avert trauma and promote positive early brain development and learning.  The director of the maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting program has emphasized the need to reduce toxic stress and promote nurturing relationships as priority interventions for home visiting in the first one thousand days of life.  Early investments in home visiting programs have been shown to reduce child abuse and neglect, the associated costs of foster care placements, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and unintended pregnancies.  Home visiting programs have also been shown to improve child development, reduce the need for special education services, and avert other more costly interventions.

     In 2013, the legislature established the Hawaii home visiting program.  The program is responsible for statewide hospital-based screening and home visiting services to identify families with newborns that may have health or safety concerns.  High risk families are referred to home visiting service providers who deliver evidence-based services to address the family's needs.

     The purpose of this Act is to maintain funding for the Hawaii home visiting initiative and to ensure continuation of home visiting services in the priority high-risk neighborhoods of the Waianae coast, Kalihi, downtown Honolulu, Hilo-Puna on the Big Island, and high risk areas of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai, and East and West Hawaii.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $4,500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 to maintain funding for the Hawaii home visiting initiative and to ensure continuation of home visiting services in the priority high-risk neighborhoods of the Waianae coast, Kalihi, downtown Honolulu, Hilo-Puna on the Big Island, and high risk areas of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai, and East and West Hawaii.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund the sum of $1,500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 to maintain funding for the Hawaii home visiting initiative and to ensure continuation of home visiting services in the priority high-risk neighborhoods of the Waianae coast, Kalihi, downtown Honolulu, Hilo-Puna on the Big Island, and high risk areas of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai, and East and West Hawaii.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Hawaii Home Visiting Program; Infants; Healthcare; Families; Children; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to continue administration of the Hawaii home visiting program, a hospital-based early identification designed to enhance health and safety outcomes and prevent child abuse and neglect, and ensure continuation of home visiting services in certain priority high-risk neighborhoods.

 

 

 

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