Report Title:

Early Intervention Services; Public Health Nurses

Description:

Appropriates funds for additional public health nurses for early intervention services for infants and toddlers with special needs.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

957

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO HIRE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES FOR EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the department of health has responsibility for early intervention services for infants and toddlers up to age three with special needs, under section 321-352, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The legislature further finds that special needs children require extensive care coordination services due to the complexities of their medical condition and developmental delay. To address this issue, the department of health employs public health nurses as part of its duties to provide early intervention services as part of a continuum of services to meet the needs of infants and toddlers with special needs due to their complex medical and health needs.

The legislature further finds that public health nurses play an integral part in the health care system for the developmentally disabled who are under age three as they provide front line service to clients and their family members. Unfortunately, there is a critical shortage of public health nurses in this field.

The purpose of this Act is to make an appropriation to hire additional public health nurses to provide early intervention services for infants and toddlers under the age of three with developmentally disabilities.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $392,548, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, to hire six additional public health nurses, one each for the central Oahu, leeward Oahu, east Honolulu, east Hawaii, west Hawaii, and Maui regions, to provide early intervention services for infants and toddlers under the age of three, pursuant to section 321-352, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

SECTION 3. The sum 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, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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