STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3377

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2637

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2637, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN'S HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to protect children from lead hazards.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Establishes benchmarks at which children in the State shall be tested for lead poisoning, based on age or environment;

(2) Requires certain health care facilities to test their patients for lead poisoning; and

(3) Requires insurance coverage for certain blood lead testing services.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii; Muranaka Environmental Consultants, Inc.; Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!; and three individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Your Committee finds that lead poisoning can have devastating, lifelong effects on children and can be the cause of learning disabilities, behavioral problems, high blood pressure, organ damage, and other health problems. Your Committee believes that, although federal law mandates that all medicaid-insured children be tested for lead poisoning at one and two years of age, the State should impose the same age-based testing requirement, as well as environmentally-based requirements, for all children.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the lead inspectors conducting inspections pursuant to the measure shall be certified by the Department of Health;

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

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2637, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2637, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair