STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1300

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1296

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1296, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for an Early Intervention Services Working Group within the Department of Health to study and recommend ways to assist and support deaf and hard of hearing children.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and Executive Office on Early Learning.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Health's Early Intervention Section provides services to children from birth up to three years old who have developmental delays or health conditions that place them at risk for developmental delays, including children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Early Intervention Section also provides information and support to these children's parents and guardians to help their children's development, as early intervention strategies promote access to language and communication skills needed for learning in school. To ensure these children, parents, and guardians receive the services and information they need, this measure establishes a working group to help guide the Department of Health's practices for supporting deaf and hard of hearing children.

Your Committee also notes the concern raised in testimony that the working group established by this measure, as currently written, does not include any deaf or hard of hearing individuals or parents of deaf or hard of hearing children. Amendments to this measure are therefore necessary to address this concern.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring that the Early Intervention Services Working Group include in its membership:

(A) A representative of the Department of Health's Early Intervention Section;

(B) The Director of the Executive Office on Early Learning, or the Director's designee; and

(C) A parent of a deaf or hard of hearing child under five years old who receives or has received early intervention services; and

(2) 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 and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1296, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1296, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair