STAND. COM. REP. NO. 543

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 883

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 883 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health for Healthy Start home visiting child abuse prevention services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Parents and Children Together, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and Hawaii Family Support Institute. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that Healthy Start provides home visiting services as a prevention strategy to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable families of newborns who are at risk for adverse health, safety, and developmental outcomes. Home visiting services address the risk of child abuse by fostering family functioning, promoting child health and development, enhancing positive parenting skills, and linking parents to community resources including health and mental health services, early childhood education, childcare, family literacy, employment, and social services. Funding for these services, as provided for in this measure, is a good investment for the future of the State to reduce the impact of abuse and neglect on children, prevent future abuse and neglect, and reduce the associated social and financial costs.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 883 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair