STAND

 

STAND. COM. REP. NO.69

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 739

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 739 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ANATOMICAL GIFTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make permanent the provisions of Act 88, Session Laws of Hawaii 1999 (Act 88), that establish the Hawaii organ and tissue education special fund and allow individuals to donate $1 to the fund upon registering their motor vehicle.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Department of Health, Hawaii Lions Eye Bank and Makana Foundation, Transplant Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Medical Association, National Kidney Foundation, Congress of Visayan Organizations, Kaiser Permanente, Oahu Filipino Community Council, Organ Donor Center of Hawaii, Hawaii Coalition on Donation, MOTTEP/Bayanihan of Hawaii, and four individuals. Opposing testimony was received from one individual.

Your Committee finds that in passing Act 88, the Legislature intended "to increase the number of individuals being asked to donate organs, to expand educational efforts across all ethnic, religious, and age groups, to increase the supply of organs for waiting transplant recipients, and to create a special fund which will be used to promote public education programs on organ, tissue, and eye donation" (Act 88, §1). Your Committee finds that Act 88 has been successful in many respects although an organ shortage continues to exist.

Clearly, the current successes of Hawaii's organ donation programs resulting from Act 88 are largely due to the volunteerism, diligence, and support of the public and facilitated by the funds generated by the donations made during motor vehicle registrations, and otherwise.

Your Committee believes that by making permanent the existence of the Hawaii organ and tissue education special fund and continuing to allow donations to be made during motor vehicle registrations, Hawaii will continue to increase the number of organ and tissue donors, thereby saving lives and enhancing the quality of life for many persons.

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 S.B. No. 739 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

		____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair