Notice of Public Hearing
On Communicable Diseases Rules
Department of Health
State of Hawai`i
Docket number: R-7-07
Proposed Changes in Administrative Rules
Related to Updating the Requirements for
Communicable Disease Reporting
by Laboratories, Health Care Providers and Physicians

Notice is hereby given that the Department of Health will hold a Public Hearing on proposed changes to Hawai`i Administrative Rules, Chapter 156, Communicable
Diseases, as follows:
Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 2:00-4:00 PM at the following locations:

Board Room, Department of Health,
1250 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, HI

Room 204, Maui District Health Office,
210 Imi Kala St., Wailuku, HI

Room 105, Hawaii District Health Office,
75 Apuni St., Hilo, HI

Conference Room, Kauai District Health
Office, 3040 Umi St., Lihue, HI

for the purpose of receiving testimony on the proposed administrative rules, Chapter 156, entitled “Communicable Diseases.” The proposed changes in the rules will:
1) update definitions to clarify and add public health definitions for “blood borne pathogen,” “control,” and “immunization” (§ 11-156-2),
2) add new conditions that must be reported to the DOH, including SARS and bioterrorism agents (§ 11-156-3),
3) require health care providers, physicians, and laboratories to report HIV cases by name rather than by Unnamed Test Codes (§ 11-156-3),
4) mandate reporting of provisionally diagnosed (i.e., unconfirmed) dangerous diseases to the DOH (§ 11-156-4.2),
5) specify interventions for disease prevention and control for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) (§ 11-156-4.4),
6) clarify that people infected with HIV, HTLV-1, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and other blood borne pathogens do not require isolation (§11-156-5),
7) remove the allowance of return to school or work following chickenpox without a signed certificate (§ 11-156-6),
8) require that a copy of the original laboratory report indicating a pregnant woman’s hepatitis B Surface antigen (HBsAg) status be sent to the hospital where delivery is planned and to the health care provider who will provide care to the newborn (11-156-8.1),
9) will allow the DOH to provide hepatitis B serologic testing of medically indigent or indigent pregnant women (§11-156-8.1),
10) require that providers report address, telephone number, and birth date for women who are hepatitis B virus carriers (§11-156-8.1),
11) clarify the procedures for the appropriate screening, treatment and reporting of babies born to hepatitis B positive women (§ 11-156-8.1),
12) establish reporting requirements for infants born to women who are carriers of the hepatitis B virus (§ 11-156-8.1).
The proposed rules may be viewed and downloaded at www.hawaii.gov/health/about/rules/index.html.
A copy of the proposed rules is available at no cost by calling (808) 733-9010 in Honolulu, Monday thru Friday, between regular business hours, 7:45 AM – 4:30 PM, or by sending an email to laurie.tokioka@doh.hawaii.gov, until December 10, 2007. All interested persons may speak at the hearings.
Persons with disabilities may request special accommodations by writing at least ten (10) days before the hearing to: STD/AIDS Prevention Branch, c/o L. Tokioka, 3627 Kilauea Ave., Room 306, Honolulu, HI 96816.
Persons desiring to speak are asked to submit a written copy of their testimony before or at the hearing. Persons unable to attend or not wishing to speak may submit written testimony to the above address until five (5) days after the last hearing date.

State of Hawai`i
Department of Health
(SB05532563 11/6/07)