STAND. COM. REP. NO. 29

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 287
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 287
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PEER
     EDUCATION PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to support adolescent health
prevention programs in the State's secondary schools by
appropriating funds for the Department of Health's Peer Education
Program (PEP).

     Established in 1988, PEP aids teens who are at risk or in
crisis with problems relating to pregnancy, sexually transmitted
diseases, substance abuse, violence, and suicide.  By focusing on
prevention, it seeks to reduce the cost of future intervention
efforts.

     This bill would provide funding for PEP in twenty-six
schools.  It would also expand PEP into ten new schools over the
next fiscal biennium.

     The Department of Health supported this measure, provided
that the appropriations do not impact its budget priorities as
indicated in the Executive Biennium Budget.  The Department of
Education supported the intent of this measure.  Your Committee
also received testimony in support of this measure from a number
of agencies, organizations, and individuals, including: the
Hawaii State Teachers Association; the Molokai Family Support

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 29
                                 Page 2

 
Center; the Mediation Center of Molokai; Na Puuwai (Native
Hawaiian Health Care Systems); Hawaii Youth Services Network;
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies; PEP coordinators in various
schools; Kailua Intermediate School; Kauai High and Intermediate
School; numerous intermediate school students who belong to PEP;
and high school and college students.

     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 H.B. No.
287 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to
the Committee on Education.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair