STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1071

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 114

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Education and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 114 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SYSTEM TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF RE-ESTABLISHING THE ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN GERONTOLOGY PROGRAM, TO CREATE A RESEARCH EDUCATION AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM TO SUPPORT RESEARCH ON AGING, AND TO BUILD CAPACITY TO MEET THE AGING-RELATED WORK FORCE NEEDS OF THE STATE,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the University of Hawaii System to:

 

     (1)  Examine the feasibility of re-establishing the Advanced Certificate in Gerontology Program;

 

     (2)  Establish a Research Education and Mentorship Program within the Center on Aging to support professors who are conducting aging-related research; and

 

     (3)  Explore ways to build greater capacity at the community college level in developing and training direct-care paraprofessionals, professional caregivers, and family caregivers to meet the needs of the increasing aging population in the State.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii Center on Aging, Executive Office on Aging, and two individuals.

 

     Your Committees find that the number of elderly citizens in Hawaii is increasing at a rate that is faster than the national average.  As the number of elderly citizens in Hawaii increases, so does the need for a highly skilled caregiver workforce.  Your Committees further find that the University of Hawaii System is the key to helping students and paraprofessionals prepare for careers in caring for and assisting Hawaii's rapidly increasing elderly population. 

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Making the establishment of the Research Education and Mentorship Program discretionary rather than mandatory;

 

     (2)  Amending its title to reflect the change in the request to the University of Hawaii System; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 114, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 114, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Human Services,

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair