S.B. 925 Summary

• Establishes a hospital-based screening and assessment and intensive home visitation program within the Department of Health following the improved healthy start program guidelines.

• Requires universal screening and assessment of families prenatally or at birth, with intensive home visits available on a voluntary basis for highest-risk families and referrals to evidence-based services for lower-risk families.

• Intensive home visiting services shall maintain critical elements including caseloads, staff ratios, training, and multi-disciplinary team approaches, with services continuing until the child reaches age three (or age five if the child has a younger sibling).

• Appropriates funds from the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund and temporary assistance for needy families funds for fiscal years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, and increases the tobacco settlement special fund appropriation ceiling to $53,154,866 for each year.

• Effective date of July 1, 2050.