STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1694

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.C.R. No. 206

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 Education, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 206 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO REPORT ON THE FEASIBILITY OF STOCKING SHORT-ACTING BRONCHODILATORS IN SCHOOLS FOR EMERGENCY USE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Education to report to the Legislature on the feasibility of stocking bronchodilators for emergency use during respiratory distress and authorizing Department of Education employees to volunteer to administer bronchodilators.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing, American Lung Association in Hawaii, and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that, according to the Department of Health, more than one hundred ten thousand residents are living with asthma and approximately one-third of those residents are children. Your Committee further finds that short-acting bronchodilators, commonly referred to as albuterol inhalers, can be life-saving, are easy to administer, inexpensive, and very safe that can be easily administered by non-medical personnel who have adequate training on its use. Your Committee believes that evaluating the feasibility of stocking bronchodilators in schools and allowing Department of Education employees to volunteer to administer bronchodilators is needed to ensure that children with asthma can properly access the medication they need in a school setting.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 206, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 206, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair