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Sunday, March 10, 2019
Hawaii Family Forum Legislative Week in Review
By Hawaii Family Forum @ 3:54 PM :: 5534 Views :: Family, Life, Drugs

Weekly Recap

From Hawaii Family Forum, March 8, 2019

CROSSOVER: Bills alive move to the opposite chamber

Yesterday, March 7th was the first crossover for bills.  That means it was a deadline for bills to pass third reading in order to move (or "crossover") to the other chamber. If successful, House bills are sent to the Senate and Senate bills are sent to the House for further consideration.

Suicide Prevention Bills Ready for Assignment in New Chamber

Hawaii Family Forum supported the following bills:

HB 330 HD1 Relating to Suicide Prevention

Appropriates moneys for youth suicide early intervention, prevention, and education initiatives in Kauai and Hawaii counties.  

STATUS:  passed Third Reading on March 1, 2019 50 members voting yes and 1 Representative(s) DeCoite excused.  The bill was transmitted to Senate.

HB 1416 HD 1 Relating to Health

Establishes a Suicide Prevention Commission to develop a strategic plan to reduce suicides within Hawaii's correctional system.

STATUS:  Passed Third Reading on March 1, 2019 with 50 members voting yes and 1 Representative DeCoite excused. Bill was transmitted to Senate.

SB226 SD2 Relating to Suicide Prevention

Appropriates moneys for youth suicide early intervention, prevention, and education initiatives in Kauai, Hawaii, and Maui counties

STATUS:  On March 5, 2019 the bill passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 24; Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Harimoto). Transmitted to House.

SB 383 SD2 Relating to Youth Suicide Prevention

Requires the Board of Education to establish a mandatory youth suicide awareness and prevention training program and model risk referral protocol, based on existing materials created by the Department of Health, for all public schools, including charter schools. Requires complex areas and charter schools to provide the training program and risk referral protocol to all school personnel who work directly with students in department schools and charter schools, respectively.

STATUS: On March 5, 2019 the bill passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 24; Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Harimoto). Transmitted to House.

Palliative Care Bills Cross Chambers

Hawaii Family Forum supported the following two bills:

HB 1447 HD1 Relating to Palliative Care

Requires the Department of Health to establish a culturally competent Palliative Care Pilot Program to promote public education on palliative care and establish home- or community-based palliative care projects.

STATUS:  Passed Third Reading on March 1, 2019 with 50 members voting yes and 1 Representative(s) DeCoite excused. The bill was transmitted to Senate.

SB804 SD 1 Relating to Palliative Care

Establishes the culturally competent palliative care pilot program within the Department of Health to promote palliative care, gather health care utilization data, and conduct bidding for at least two pilot programs for home or community based palliative care, one of which must be located in a county with less than two hundred thousand residents. Requires reports to the legislature. Establishes an advisory group to oversee implementation of the pilot program. Appropriates funds.

STATUS:  On March 5, 2019, the bill passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 24; Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Harimoto). Transmitted to House.

Marijuana Decrim Passes House: Now Onto Senate

HB 1383 HD1 Relating to Marijuana

Decriminalizes the possession of 3 grams (around 6 joints) or less of marijuana and establish that the possession is an infraction punishable by a monetary fine of $200. Provides for the dismissal of criminal charges, and expungement of criminal records, pertaining solely to the possession of 3 grams (around six joints) or less of marijuana. Establishes a marijuana evaluation task force to make recommendations on changing marijuana use penalties and outcomes in the State.  HFF opposes this bill.  We appreciate the legislators listed below who VOTED NO.

STATUS:  On March 7, 2019, HB 1383 HD2  passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2. The vote in the House was as follows:

32 Yes Votes

2 Yes with reservations:  Representative(s) Johanson, B. Kobayashi

16 No Votes:  Representative(s) Aquino, Cachola, Cullen, DeCoite, Eli, Har, Kitagawa, Kong, Matayoshi, Matsumoto, McDermott, Okimoto, Say, Tokioka, Ward, Yamane

1 Excused:  Representative(s) Ohno

The bill was transmitted to Senate.

Abortion Expansion Passes Senate

Existing law in Hawaii prohibits anyone other than a physician or surgeon (or an osteopathic physician and surgeon) from providing aspiration abortions.  Abortion supporters claim that women in rural areas are restricted in their access to abortion because there are not enough abortion doctors to help them. To combat this inconvenience, Hawaii's legislators want to authorize advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) to perform medical or aspiration abortions, if they are "trained" to do so.

We strongly disagree.  Hawaii's law protects women from harm by narrowing the scope of who can do a medical or aspiration abortion.  Even if an APRN is "trained & experienced," we believe medical doctors are the ones who are best prepared to handle emergencies, should they arise.  While we empathize with a women who has an unplanned pregnancy, we remain opposed to expanding abortion services in Hawaii.

SB 415 SD 1 Relating to Health

Authorizes advanced practice registered nurses to perform medical or aspiration abortions if certain requirements are met. Clarifies who may refuse to perform an abortion and the notice procedures for refusal.  Hawaii Family Forum opposes this bill and is grateful for the NO votes below.

The new version allows for refusal (provided that the person has given prior written notice to the appropriate and responsible hospital, firm, corporation, or association, if applicable, and the refusal does not cause a serious risk to another person's health or life.)

STATUS:  On March 5, 2019, the bill passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1).

Ayes, 21;

Noes, 3 (Senator(s) Fevella, Gabbard, Riviere).

Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Harimoto).

The bill was transmitted to House.

SB 415 SD1 (Relating to Health) has been scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.  You can view the full hearing notice here.
ACTION:

  1. Submit testimony IN OPPOSITION online at this link.  Do you need a tutorial on how to do this?  Watch this three minute video here.  You must submit your testimony by 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 11, 2019.  Remember to focus your testimony on the "expansion" of abortion to include APRNs.  
  2. If you don't want to submit testimony, sign this online petition here.  We will submit the petition along with our testimony.  Encourage your friends and adult family members to sign the petition as well.  
  3. Pray for our legislators as they consider this bill.

Upcoming Legislative Deadlines

MAR 11 -- BUDGET DECKING

Deadline for submitting the budget bill for third reading.

MAR 13 -- BUDGET CROSSOVER

Last day for third reading of the budget bill in order to move to the other chamber.

MAR 14 -- TRIPLE REFERRAL FILING (BILLS)

All bills referred to three or more committees must be filed so that they can be in their second-to-last committee in the non-originating chamber the following day. (Note: A referral to a joint committee counts as one committee referral.) This deadline allows ample time for successful bills to make their way to their last committee by the Second Lateral deadline.

What's Coming Up?

What she saw changed everything!

Friday, March 29th, Unplanned - the movie - will open in over 800 theaters. Unplanned is the inspiring true story of one woman's journey of transformation. Click here to watch the trailer for Unplanned. 

All Abby Johnson ever wanted to do was help women. As one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the nation, she was involved in upwards of 22,000 abortions and counseled countless women about their reproductive choices. Her passion surrounding a woman's right to choose even led her to become a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, fighting to enact legislation for the cause she believed in so deeply.

Then one day she saw something that changed everything, leading Abby Johnson to join her former enemies at 40 Days for Life and become one of the most ardent pro-life speakers in America.

Please support this movie. Locate a theater nearby and invite your pro-choice friends. It is sure to change hearts and minds.

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