STAND. COM. REP. NO. 761

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 536

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 536 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FALL PREVENTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health for a fall prevention and early detection coordinator position.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, AARP Hawaii, ILWU Local 142, and four individuals.

     Your Committee finds that falls are among the leading causes of hospitalization and severe injury among the elderly and cause an average of eighty-five deaths, 1,960 hospitalizations, and eight thousand seven hundred emergency room visits each year.  These accidents result in almost $1,200,000 in hospital and physician charges.  Your Committee further finds that access to fall prevention services and programs would significantly reduce costs associated with falls.  Your Committee also believes that continued support of these programs ultimately results in longer, healthier lives for the State's aging population.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the amount appropriated for fiscal years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, respectively, from $95,000 to an unspecified amount; and

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     Your Committee intends to consider including an appropriation for the fall prevention and early detection coordinator position in the General Appropriation Act of 2017.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 536, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 536, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair