STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2423

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 304

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor and Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 304, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the University of Hawaii nursing programs for the creation of faculty and support positions for the development of a qualified nursing workforce to meet Hawaii's health care needs.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the University of Hawaii Statewide Nursing Consortium, the Hawaii State Center for Nursing, the Hawaii Nurses' Association, the Hawaii Dental Hygienists' Association, the Hawaii Government Employees' Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the Queen's Medical Center, Hale Makua, Hale Halawai Ohana O Hanalei, Hawaii Pacific Health, the Student Nurse Organization of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and sixteen individuals.

Your Committees find that studies indicate that there will be a twenty percent national shortage of qualified nurses by 2020. In Hawaii, the projected shortage of nurses is expected to increase from 1,518 in 2005 to 2,267 in 2010. A nursing shortage is highly detrimental to any population, especially in Hawaii where we have an aging population that is growing faster than any other state in the country. Your Committees further find that growing within our aging population is also an aging nursing workforce. Your Committees believe that a concentrated effort to develop Hawaii's nursing workforce is critical to ensuring the provision of quality health care in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, clinics, and other health care settings.

Your Committees recognize that nursing schools are the gateway to the nursing workforce, and our nursing programs must be adequately supported to sustain a stable nursing workforce. Your Committees believe that it is important to grow our own local nursing workforce, as the recruitment of nurses from outside of the State can have negative consequences, including the increased cost of health care. Although the University of Hawaii nursing programs have developed a plan for increasing the educational capacity for nursing and dental hygiene programs, the funding necessary to support the plan must also be provided for the revitalization of the Hawaii nursing workforce to be successful.

Your Committees have concerns regarding the large number of positions requested, the amount of funding requested, and the ability to fill the positions requested in a timely manner. However, your Committees are committed to further exploring and resolving the issues as this measure continues to advance throughout the legislative session.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the specific number of positions requested for the establishment of faculty and staff positions within the University of Hawaii nursing programs under this measure;

(2) Removing the appropriation amounts and including blank appropriation amounts for the funding requests for the University of Hawaii nursing programs;

(3) Changing the effective date of the Act to July 1, 2050 to allow further discussion on the matter; and

(4) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for purposes of clarity.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 304, S.D. 1, as amended herein, recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 304, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor and Higher Education,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair

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BRIAN KANNO, Chair