STAND. COM. REP. NO. 138

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 576

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 576 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve equitable access to health care by authorizing licensed physician assistants and advance practice registered nurses to perform aspiration abortions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, AAUW of Hawaii, Hawaii Women's Coalition, Women's Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaii - American Nurses Association, Hawaii Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, Hua Moon Women's Health LLC, Hawaii Maternal and Infant Health Collaborative, Hawaii Academy of Physician Assistants, Domestic Violence Action Center, and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Hawaii Life Alliance, Hawaii Family Forum, A Place for Women in Waipio, Hawaii Federation of Republican Women, Americans United for Life, 40 Days for Life in Honolulu, and twelve individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Nursing, Hawaii Medical Board, and Hawaii State Center for Nursing.

Your Committee finds that under existing state law, only physicians are permitted to provide aspiration abortion care. Your Committee further finds that these restrictions place an unnecessary burden on abortion care and negatively impact residents in rural and medically underserved areas of the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Reinstating statutory language that requires abortions to be performed in a licensed hospital;

(2) Clarifying that licensed physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses may only perform aspiration abortion care;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 576, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 576, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair