Bill Text: HI HB614 | 2011 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Healthy Start; Home Visitation; Department of Health; Appropriation
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2011-04-29 - (H) Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 04-29-11 11:00AM in conference room 229. [HB614 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2011-HB614-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
614 |
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TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011 |
H.D. 2 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
S.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO CHILDREN.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Hawaii has long been a leader in early childhood services, reflecting an understanding of the importance of early childhood development that has resulted in proactive legislation to ensure the safety and well-being of infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers. Unfortunately, many of these services have been eliminated or drastically cut over the past two years. Hawaii's healthy start program is one of the services that have been affected.
The healthy start program was designed to prevent child abuse and neglect and promote child development among high-risk infants and toddlers. Although healthy start was deployed statewide in 2001, cuts to the program have resulted in the elimination of assessment capacity and home visiting services for most of the State. Restoration of these critical services is the first step toward the establishment of an effective, coordinated continuum of early childhood services.
Research has shown that a combination of factors, such as abuse of the parent in childhood, social isolation, lack of social support and life skills, substance abuse, domestic violence, and mental health problems place parents at risk for abuse and neglect of their children. Poverty and unemployment can also be major contributing factors. The healthy start approach uses research-based interview procedures to reach out to parents who may be at risk. Intensive home visits, which seek to strengthen protective factors, reduce risk, promote child and family development, and avert abuse and neglect, are also provided. Restoration of universal screening and home visitation services is a vital step in offering culturally responsive, evidence-based services to address different levels of family needs and risks and ensuring that the State meets its public health responsibility of surveillance for needs assessment.
A recent renaissance in research and national-level policy on early childhood underscores the foresight of the legislature in focusing on early childhood issues. For example, the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child published "The Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do" (Harvard University, 2007). Composed of leading neuroscientists, pediatricians, developmental psychologists, and economists, the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child reviewed all current research and literature on early childhood development. Based on this research, the publication presents the following core concepts of development and considers their implications for policy and practice:
(1) Brain architecture is built from the bottom up, with simple circuits and skills providing the scaffolding for more advanced circuits and skill over time;
(2) Toxic stress in early childhood is associated with persistent effects on the nervous system and stress hormonal systems that can damage developing brain architecture and lead to lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and mental and physical health;
(3) Policy initiatives that promote safe, supportive relationships and rich learning opportunities for children create a strong foundation for later learning, followed by greater productivity in the workplace and solid citizenship in the community;
(4) Substantial progress in proper child development can be achieved through growth-promoting experiences provided by a range of sources, including parent education, family support, early intervention services, and early childhood education;
(5) Later remediation for highly vulnerable children will produce less favorable outcomes and cost more than appropriate early intervention, beginning in the earliest year of life;
(6) Responsible investment is needed to produce results; it is not profitable to use interventions that may be less costly but fail to produce needed results; and
(7) Child development is the foundation for community and economic development; capable children become the foundation for a prosperous, sustainable society.
Given the foregoing findings, the legislature finds it prudent to reinstate hospital-based screening and assessments and intensive home visiting for families at highest risk, along with referrals of other families to existing home visiting services. The legislature further finds that utilizing moneys from the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund and temporary assistance for needy families funds is appropriate and necessary to ensure that public health interests and the health and safety of at-risk children of the State are met.
The purpose of this Act is to reinstate hospital-based assessments, target improved intensive home visiting services to the highest-risk families of newborns in communities across the State of Hawaii, and appropriate moneys from the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund and from the federal appropriation of temporary assistance for needy families funds for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 2. Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§321‑ Hospital-based screening and assessment and intensive home visitation program; established. (a) Within the limits of available funds, there is established within the department of health a hospital-based screening and assessment and intensive home visitation program. This program may follow the guidelines of the department's improved healthy start program.
(b) The hospital-based screening and assessment services pursuant to this section may include:
(1) Proactive universal screening and assessment;
(2) Home visits available on a voluntary basis; and
(3) Referrals for families, based on the needs of the family, for home visitation services.
(c) Services provided pursuant to this section may be initiated on an incremental basis, with geographic priority to be determined by the department's needs assessment, and shall be implemented as funding becomes available."
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 for hospital-based screening and assessment and intensive home visitation program services.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. Of the federal appropriation for the department of human services, there is appropriated temporary assistance for needy families funds in the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 for intensive home visitation services.
The sums appropriated shall be transferred by the department of human services by interdepartmental transfer (U fund) to the department of health, to be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2030.
Report Title:
Healthy Start; Home Visitation; Department of Health; Appropriation
Description:
Establishes a hospital-based screening and assessment and intensive home visitation program within the Department of Health. Appropriates funds from the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund for hospital-based screening and assessment and intensive home visitation services. Appropriates Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds for intensive home visitation services. Effective July 1, 2030. (SD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
