STAND. COM. REP. NO. 415

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1343

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1343 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE ACCESS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Office of the Reproductive Health Care Access Coordinator; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women, one member of the Hawai‘i County Council, Hawai‘i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Imua Alliance, Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing, Hawai‘i Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Patsy T. Mink Political Action Committee, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Rainbow Family 808, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates - Hawai‘i, and eighteen individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from six individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committees find that many of the State's reproductive health care providers are located on the island of Oahu, which leaves many of the State's women and pregnant persons on the neighbor islands with limited or no access to reproductive health care. This measure seeks increased and easier access to reproductive health care throughout the State.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the training program shall be for eligible licensed health care providers to facilitate reproductive health care on every populated island in the State;

(2) Specifying the annual reporting requirement to the Legislature begins with a report prior to the 2025 Regular Session;

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

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health & Homelessness that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1343, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1343, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health & Homelessness,

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair