S.C.R. No. 127 Summary

• Requests four state departments (Health, Human Services, Education, and Attorney General) to form an interdepartmental working group to develop a consolidated, consistent vision screening program for public school children in Hawaii.

• Notes that approximately one in five children need glasses and 35% of children have never seen an eye care professional, while vision screening was mandated in 1989 but has lacked consistent methodology since the Department of Health program was defunded in 1997.

• Working group must include representatives from the four departments plus nine additional members including Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Project Vision Hawaii, Hawaii Lions District 50, Rotary International District 5000, and various health care professionals.

• Directs the Attorney General to assist in identifying statutory and administrative rule barriers to consolidated vision screening and propose amendments to remove them.

• Requires the working group to submit findings and recommendations to the Legislative Reference Bureau by December 15, 2019, with a final report to the Legislature by twenty days before the 2020 Regular Session convenes.