STAND. COM. REP. NO. 707

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 899

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 H.B. No. 899 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to designate September of every year as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month to promote public awareness of the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders FASD Action Group, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and five individuals.

Your Committee finds that alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been recognized as the leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disorders in the United States. Your Committee further finds that as many as forty thousand babies are born in the United States each year with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, an umbrella term used to describe the range of often lifelong physical and cognitive deficits that may be experienced by persons whose mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

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 H.B. No. 899, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 899, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair