Weekly Recap

From Hawaii Family Forum, March 15, 2019

Abortion Expansion Bill Changes Focus!

We have a small victory to report!  The abortion expansion bill (SB 415 SD2) that would have allowed APRNs to do medication and/aspiration abortion was changed (gutted and replaced) by the House Health Committee on Tuesday, March 12th.  That means that APRNs will not be allowed to do aspiration abortions just yet...  (at least for this year if the bill remains in its current form).  That is the small victory but we have to stay vigilant. HFF opposed SB 415 SD1.

The bill was changed to create a task force (SB 415 HD1) to study the "need" to expand abortion services for neighbor island women (Kauai, Moloka'i and Big Island) whom Planned Parenthood claims must fly over to Oahu to access abortion doctors because the neighbor islands do not have enough of them willing to do the abortions.

The new version has assigned five members to discuss the alleged "need."  What was surprising is that they included a representative from Hawaii Family Forum.  We appreciate that the committee acknowledged in their committee report that our testimony asked for more abstinence education.  However, they did NOT note that we also asked for more promotion on adoption services and increased education on counseling for women with unplanned pregnancies.  

If the bill remains in this new form, maybe the work of the task force can include that women need access to alternative choices that celebrate life and the potential of an unborn child that may be unwanted by his or her birth mother.  We do not believe abortion access should be expanded but we appreciate the committee's questions regarding the issue and their hesitance to move a bill forward.

We give a special shout out to the 122 people who signed our online petition.  Mahalo for raising your voice to stop the effort to expand abortion access.  If you have not signed the petition but still want to, please visit this link.

The bill has to move to two more committees so it could always change back to the original version so we have to remain vigilant.

STATUS:  On March 12, 2019 the bill was heard in a joint committee hearing.

The House Committees on Health recommended that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows:

6 Ayes: Representative(s) Mizuno, B. Kobayashi, Belatti, Nakamura, San Buenaventura; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Tokioka;

1 Noes: Representative(s) Ward;

1 Excused: Representative(s) Say.

The House Committee on Intrastate Commerce recommended that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows:

3 Ayes: Representative(s) Ohno, D. Kobayashi, Takayama;

2 Noes: Representative(s) Kong, McDermott;

2 Excused: Representative(s) Gates, Nishimoto.

The bill will move to the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Access to Positive End-of-Life Choices

SB 804 HD1 establishes the culturally competent palliative care pilot program within the DOH to provide public education and conduct two home- or community-based palliative care pilot programs. Establishes an advisory group to oversee the pilot program. Appropriates funds. (SB804 HD1)

HFF supported this bill.

STATUS:  On March 12, 2019, the House Committee on Health recommended that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows:

8 Ayes: Representative(s) Mizuno, B. Kobayashi, Belatti, Nakamura, San Buenaventura, Say, Tokioka, Ward

The bill will now move to the House Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Suicide Prevention Bills Continue to Move

HB 330 HD1 appropriates moneys for youth suicide early intervention, prevention, and education initiatives in Kauai and Hawaii counties. (HB330 HD1).  HFF supported this bill.

STATUS:  On March 13, 2019, the Senate Committee on CPH recommended that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPH were as follows:

6 Aye(s): Senator(s) Baker, S. Chang, J.Keohokalole, Ruderman, L. Thielen, Fevella;

1 Excused: Senator(s) Nishihara.

The bill will now move to the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

HB 383 SD2 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. (SD2)

STATUS:  The bill passed a joint committee hearing.

On March 14, 2019 the committees on House Committee on Health recommended that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows:

5 Ayes: Representative(s) Mizuno, B. Kobayashi, Nakamura, Tokioka, Ward; 3 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, San Buenaventura, Say.

The committees on LHE recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows:

8 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, Hashem, Perruso, D. Kobayashi, Ohno, Tarnas, Tokioka, Okimoto;

3 Excused: Representative(s) DeCoite, Johanson, Quinlan.

The bill will now move to the House Finance.

Upcoming Legislative Deadlines

MAR 18 -- TRIPLE REFERRAL FILING (HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS) - All House concurrent resolutions referred to three or more committees must be filed so that they can be in their second-to-last committee by the following day. (Note: A referral to a joint committee counts as one committee referral.)

MAR 22 -- SECOND LATERAL (BILLS)

All bills with multiple referrals must move to their final referral committee in the non-originating chamber by this date.

MAR 28 -- FIRST LATERAL FOR CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS

Concurrent resolutions require adoption in each chamber and are used to state the official position of the Legislature on an issue, or to request action formally without having to mandate it by law. All concurrent resolutions with multiple referrals must move to their final committee in the originating chamber by this date.

What's Coming Up?

40 Days for Life - Update

40 Days for Life would like to thank everyone who came out to the Opening Rally last Saturday! (Picture above)  The first 40 Days for Life campaign each year takes place during the Christian season of Lent-starting on Ash Wednesday and ending on Palm Sunday. The second campaign of the year always begins the fourth Wednesday of September.

The Hawaii Team at 40 Days for Life is requesting a stronger presence in front of the Planned Parenthood abortion facility at 839 S. Beretania Street.  

ACTION:  40 Days for Life is looking for at least one person praying there every day during the 40 days.  If you see an open day on the calendar, please consider going there to pray.  You can invite a friend or two if you don't want to go by yourself. 

Contact Tracey Whitehurst, 40 Days for Life Coordinator at 808-754-7427 if you have questions or need more information.

Catholic members can contact Paulette Vernay, the Director of the Respect Life Office.