CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 114

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

RE:    H.B. No. 782

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 782, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CYTOMEGALOVIRUS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to raise awareness of the cytomegalovirus, which causes birth defects and childhood disability, by:

(1)  Requiring the Department of Health to establish a working group to develop a Public Education Program to inform and educate pregnant women and women who may become pregnant about cytomegalovirus, and to inform and educate health care providers who may be responsible for screening, testing, diagnosing, and treating pregnant mothers or newborns with cytomegalovirus;

(2)  Requiring the working group to submit a report on the development, implementation, and funding of the public education program; and

(3)  Making an appropriation to support the working group.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the establishment of the working group and instead statutorily requiring the Department of Health to provide a public education program containing information on certain, specified aspects of cytomegalovirus, including transmission and prevention to:

(A)  Pregnant women and women who may become pregnant; and

(B)  Hospitals, health care providers, and child, infant, and toddler care facilities, including organizations offering children's programs as part of a worship service;

(2)  Deleting the appropriation to support the working group;

(3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2015; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 782, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 782, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair	____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair
____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Co-Chair	____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair	____________________________ BERTRAND KOBAYASHI, Co-Chair