STAND. COM. REP. NO. 794-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 3139

H.D. 3

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 3139, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure and improve the educational and emotional development of Hawaii's children, while not infringing upon an individual's religious beliefs, by:

(1) Requiring childhood screening for vision, hearing, and speech development from birth to eight years of age;

(2) Requiring a child to obtain a certificate of screening prior to the child beginning preschool or kindergarten;

(3) Establishing the Hawaii Childhood Screening Initiative Task Force (Task Force) which is comprised of representatives from state agencies, community groups, and family members of children eligible for screening;

(4) Directing the Task Force to make recommendations, formalize referral protocols, address issues related to physician participation, and evaluate compliance and appropriateness of referrals;

(5) Requiring the Task Force to submit to the Legislature an annual report on the status of the early childhood screening program; and

(6) Allowing families with religious objections an exemption from childhood screening.

The Good Beginnings Alliance, Family Voices of Hawaii, and the Christian Science Committee on Publication testified in support of this bill. The Department of Health supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amount to $1 to encourage further discussion;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3139, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3139, H.D. 3.

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

 

____________________________

DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair