STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1162-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2476

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 2476 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTAL HYGIENISTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to permit licensed dental hygienists to perform preventative dental sealant screenings and apply dental sealants on individuals, under certain conditions, as part of a Department of Education school-based oral health program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Department of Health; Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Disability and Communication Access Board; Board of Dentistry; Hawaiʻi Oral Health Coalition; Save Medicaid Hawaii; Hawaii Medical Service Association; AlohaCare; Hawaii Dental Service; Hawaii Dental Association; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; Hawaii Dental Hygienists' Association; and numerous individuals.

Your Committees find that most states are not providing enough resources to help individuals prevent tooth decay, which can increase health care costs for many families. Your Committees further find that school-based dental sealant programs provide sealants to children least likely to receive them otherwise. Studies have shown that tooth decay of molars dropped an average of sixty percent up to five years after sealant application as part of a school program. Sealants also prevent decay at one-third the expense of filling a cavity. Your Committees believe that allowing licensed dental hygienists to perform preventative dental sealant screenings and apply dental sealants on individuals through a school-based oral health program is a proactive step that will help prevent tooth decay for Hawaii's children.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

(2) 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 Education and Health & Homelessness that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2476, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2476, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair

____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair