STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2487

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2282

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2282 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Clarify that access to abortion care is inclusive of all pregnant people in the State;

(2) Repeal a criminal penalty for violations of certain abortion provisions; and

(3) Clarify that advanced practice registered nurses may provide abortion care.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from AlohaCare; Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates--Hawai‘i; American Association of University Women of Hawaii; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Hawai‘i, Guam & American Samoa Section; Hawai‘i Women Lawyers; Save Medicaid Hawaii; Hawai‘i--American Nurses Association; Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; and thirty-five individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Nursing and Hawaii Medical Board.

Your Committee finds that the State's abortion laws need to be updated to reflect modern views and practice. All pregnant persons in the State have the right to abortion care, including transgender and gender nonbinary people. Existing law still contains archaic criminal punishment for some health providers who engage in safe and basic care. This measure will update existing abortion laws to use gender neutral language, remove certain criminal penalties and clarify that advanced practice registered nurses may provide abortion care.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2282, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2282, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair