STAND. COM. REP. NO. 346-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1799

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1799, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ASTHMA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Education to offer optional asthma self-management instruction to students and require teachers and other department employees to obtain asthma training.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, American Lung Association in Hawaii, AlohaCare, American Academy of Pediatrics Hawaii Chapter, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, Hawai‘i Public Health Association, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that one-third of the more than one hundred ten thousand Hawaii residents living with asthma are children. Although asthma mortality rates have declined in the past ten years, there was an average of twenty-two deaths per year from asthma in Hawaii between 2013 and 2015. Your Committee further finds that recent research funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the Journal of School Health has shown that students who engage in school-based asthma education experience significantly fewer days with activity limitations and significantly fewer nights of sleep disturbance after intervention. Students also reported significantly less frequent emergency department visits or hospitalizations between the baseline and follow-up surveys. This measure authorizes the Department of Education to offer optional asthma education courses to students and provide mandatory training to teacher and other Department employees to ensure students with asthma are able to thrive in all environments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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. 1799, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1799, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair