Appropriates money to reestablish the School of Public Health, recently incorporated into School of Medicine, as a separate, accredited school within the University of Hawaii.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. In 1999, the University of Hawaii School of Public Health lost its accreditation and was incorporated into the School of Medicine. The many graduates of the School of Public Health's programs in maternal/child health, epidemiology, environmental health, nutrition, gerontology, health administration, and community health development/education play vital roles in protecting the health of Hawaii's population. The closure of the School of Public Health has forced local residents to obtain health training on the mainland and elsewhere, far from the people and agencies they seek to serve, contributing to "brain drain" in health-related fields. It also has a deleterious effect on the collective health of our community, severely hampering any attempt to market Hawaii as the "Health State" or attract health-related tourism.

The purpose of this Act is to provide the funding necessary to reestablish the School of Public Health as a separate, accredited school within the University of Hawaii.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, to reestablish the School of Public Health as a separate, accredited school within the University of Hawaii.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.