Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2457, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to enable the Department of Anatomy and Reproductive Biology of the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii (UH) to conduct research on mouse embryos to develop novel techniques for deriving mouse embryonic stem cells.

UH testified in support of the intent of this measure.

Your Committee is cognizant of the fact that embryonic stem cell research has caused a level of controversy over its use of embryos in the cultivation of stem cells. However, in testimony by UH, researchers specifically stated that one of the purposes of the funds appropriated by this measure would be to pursue alternative methods of growing stem cells without the use of an embryo. Therefore, your Committee finds that the appropriation would not only allow UH to capitalize upon its unique method of research, but also would allow for the development of more advanced and less controversial processes beneficial to mankind.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2457, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2457, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.