STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1592

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 84

S.D. 1

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.C.R. No. 84 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE HAWAII'S HEALTHY START PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Health to expand and improve Hawaii's Healthy Start Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Family Support Institute at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and Child and Family Service. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Parents and Children Together.

Your Committee finds healthy and positive experiences in early childhood promote positive outcomes for children and their parents. Supporting families of newborns promotes positive parent-child relationships, especially in households at risk of child maltreatment and neglect. Home visiting programs provide individually tailored support, resources, and information to expectant parents and families with young children. Your Committee further finds that home visiting services are evidence-based programs that reduce the risk of child abuse by fostering family functioning, enhancing positive parenting skills, and linking parents to community resources such as mental health services, early childhood education, childcare, family literacy, employment, and social services. Your Committee acknowledges that Hawaii's nationally recognized home visiting program reached over 840 households in 2017, despite significant budget cuts in recent years. Your Committee recognizes the significant positive impact of the Department of Health's home visiting program and urges the Department of Health to continue expanding the home visiting program, including reinstating a statewide network of home visiting services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing references to the Healthy Start program with the home visiting program to accurately reflect the name of the Department of Health's program;

(2) Amending the title accordingly; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 84, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 84, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair