SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii is in a position to develop a groundbreaking process to address the unmet dental health care needs of its most vulnerable citizens. Significant adverse health and socio-economic conditions exist as a result of untreated oral diseases among the State's most vulnerable populations, especially underserved children, pregnant women, seniors, adults with chronic conditions, people with special care needs, and ethnic minorities, including native Hawaiians, Pacific islanders, and Filipinos.

Inadequate dental health has a negative impact on the overall health of the population that can result in increased health costs for the State.

There is insufficient measurement of dental health indicators among vulnerable residents of the State, including incidence and prevalence of dental disease, and insufficient understanding of existing resources, including availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of dental health care.

Poor understanding of the dental health status prevents the development of effective and cost-efficient strategies and public policies to address the dental health care needs of the most vulnerable residents of the State.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of health to support the State's dental health care initiative.

SECTION 2. Section 321-62, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§321-62 General duties of department. The department of health shall study and appraise the State's dental health needs and resources, and shall foster the development and expansion of dental health services to the people of the State. The department may:

(1) Conduct research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, and studies relating to the incidence, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of dental diseases;

(2) Supervise, provide, and direct clinical dental health services for adults and children in the State;

(3) Develop and conduct a program of dental health education of the public;

(4) Provide information and education relating to dental health to public health nurses, teachers, social workers, and others who deal in a professional capacity with the public, through publications, seminars, institutes, and other appropriate means; [~~and~~]

(5) Provide training for professional personnel to staff state and local dental health programs[.];

(6) Develop a comprehensive assessment of the State's dental health status, including the capacity of existing public and private infrastructure and health care workforce, including:

(A) High performance computing and statistical and geospatial analysis in order to assess gaps between access to dental health care needs and existing resources;

(B) Identification and analysis of social determinants of dental health status of vulnerable populations;

(C) Assurance that the community representative sample will accurately determine dental health status of vulnerable populations;

(D) Access to health care data, including dental care workforce type, language, ethnicity, geographical distribution, and participation in public programs; and

(E) Assessment of potential economic impact;

(7) Develop and disseminate an assessment of its findings at a large public convening with participation of national experts to showcase existing innovative cost-saving models being adopted in other parts of the country; and

(8) Develop a comprehensive, consensus building process with diverse stakeholders to formulate public policy recommendations that ensures an inter-professional approach and a broad representation and participation of consumers, health care professionals, and the dental health community."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the implementation of section 321-62(6) to (8), Hawaii Revised Statutes, as established by this Act.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	792
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015
STATE OF HAWAII