STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2769

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2476

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2476 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

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

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Department of Health; Disability and Communication Access Board; Board of Dentistry; University of Hawaiʻi System; We Are One, Inc.; Hawaii Dental Association; Hawaiʻi Oral Health Coalition; Hawaii Dental Service; Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!; AlohaCare; and forty-six individuals.

Your Committee finds that the State is not providing sufficient resources to help individuals prevent tooth decay, which can increase health care costs for many families. Your Committee further finds 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 in a school program. Sealants also prevent decay at one-third the expense of filling a cavity. This measure will significantly reduce the labor costs of a dentist performing dental sealant screenings in schools and eliminate an expensive barrier to promote and sustain school-based sealant and oral health programs.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2476 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair