Report Title:

Family Planning; Contraception; Health Education

 

Description:

Provides funding for family planning clinical and contraceptive services; family planning health educators; education materials, multi-media equipment, and training; new outreach services.  (HB455 HD1)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

455

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

relating to family planning.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  In 2006, the Guttmacher Institute, a leading national policy and research agency, published a report ranking Hawaii fiftieth among the states in public funding for women accessing contraceptive services and supplies.  The Guttmacher Institute report estimated that approximately sixty-two thousand women in Hawaii need publicly-supported contraceptive services and supplies because they have incomes below two hundred fifty per cent of the federal poverty level, or are sexually active teenagers.  In response to this report, the Hawaii state legislature in 2006 adopted H.C.R. No. 226, H.D. 1, which requested the department of health to convene a working group to determine family planning funding needs for legislative consideration.

     A series of working group meetings were convened, with twelve organizations represented, to determine family planning funding needs.  On November 20, 2006, the working group issued a report with its findings and recommendations. 

     The working group found that Hawaii reduced its state funds for publicly-supported family planning services by ninety per cent in the mid-1990s and has never reinstated this funding.  In addition, Hawaii currently has the twelfth highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation.

     To effectively improve the State's reproductive health services and reduce unintended pregnancies in Hawaii, the working group recommended that clinical services, health education, and outreach services be expanded and upgraded as a system to improve access to these currently fragmented services.

     The working group also recommended that increased public awareness of the health benefits of planned pregnancy, use of contraceptives, child  spacing, and clinic locations is crucial to reducing Hawaii's unintended pregnancy rate.

     The purpose of this Act is to provide an integrated and comprehensive approach to family planning and contraceptive services for Hawaii's women, teens, and men by:

     (1)  Providing funding for family planning and contraception services; and

     (2)  Providing funding for family planning health education and outreach services.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $       or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for family planning and contraceptive services.

     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 general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $      or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to:

(1)  Increase family planning health educator contracts to full-time;

(2)  Double the number of health educators statewide;

(3)  Add funding for educational materials, multi-media equipment, and training; and

(4)  Add new and innovative outreach services for hard-to-reach populations.

     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, 2007.