STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1460

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 755

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 755, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISABILITY HEALTH DISPARITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to study the health disparities experienced by persons in the State with developmental or intellectual disabilities.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, University of Hawai‘i College of Social Sciences, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Alzheimer's Association – Hawaii, Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii, and five individuals.

Your Committee finds that when compared with their non-disabled peers, persons with disabilities are more likely to experience fair or poor health, obesity, and diabetes. Your Committee further finds that there are troubling gaps in data regarding the health disparities experienced by persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities and their social determinants of health. This measure is intended to bridge that gap by requiring the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to investigate and report to the Legislature on the health disparities experienced by persons in the State with developmental or intellectual disabilities, with a focus on population-level differences in health indicators and social determinants of health.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $500,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 755, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 755, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair