STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2616

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2352

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2352 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SAFE HAVEN LAW,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Department of Health to engage in a public awareness campaign on the safe haven law in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Family Forum, Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii has had a "safe haven law" since 2007. The law was intended to prevent newborn babies from being abandoned by allowing newborns to be left at a safe place, such as a hospital, fire station, or police station, or with emergency services personnel. Under the concept of "safe-surrender", the law focuses on the health and safety of the newborn rather than liability of the parent for abandonment. However, since the safe haven law's passage, it remains widely unknown and there is a very limited amount of public information to educate the public on the law.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting a blank appropriation amount for the Department of Health to engage in a public awareness campaign on the safe haven law in the State.

To assist the Committee on Ways and Means with its deliberation on this measure, your Committee notes that the public awareness campaign on the safe haven law proposed by this measure would require an appropriation of $20,000.

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. 2352, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2352, S.D. 1, 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