STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 118-24
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2024
RE: H.B. No. 2759
H.D. 1
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2759 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH SERVICES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing; Hawaii American Nurses Association; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association.
Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program (Hawaii Keiki Program) is designed to improve access to quality school-based health services for Hawaii's public school students through a partnership with the University of Hawaii at Manoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing. In the past three years, the Hawaii Keiki Program provided direct on‑site services in over one hundred seventy-one schools, and indirect support to all Department of Education schools, complexes, and complex areas.
Your Committee further finds that health technicians, who are community health workers, medical assistants, and certified nurse assistants, are critical to the expansion of health nursing services. Under the supervision of registered nurses, health technicians support on-site health room visits; implement nursing orders; facilitate virtual nursing visits; facilitate health screening efforts; support staff, parent, and student health education; and provide health support to the school campus. Your Committee believes that maintaining the health technician positions throughout the State will support the Hawaii Keiki Program in ensuring that children enrolled in Department of Education schools will be healthy and ready to learn.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;
(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and
(3) 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 $3,400,000.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2759, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2759, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,
|
|
|
____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair |
|
|
|
|