Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 422, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a center for nursing at the University of Hawaii School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene to examine nursing workforce issues.

Furthermore, this bill creates a center for nursing special fund to support the center's activities. The fund is administered by the Board of Regents and funded through appropriations, federal and private grants, and other funds. Until June 30, 2009, one of the sources of funding is an assessment on licensed nurses upon the issuance of a new license and at each license renewal period.

Furthermore, this measure transfers the assessed fees from the compliance resolution fund to the center for nursing special fund, and appropriates funds from the center for nursing special fund for the center's duties.

Your Committee finds that this proposal to create a center for nursing is based upon the initial, and very successful, center for nursing in North Carolina. Other states that have established a center for nursing include Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont.

These centers provide a means to examine and monitor trends, identify shortage areas, and recommend strategies to educate and retain more nurses. They can also assist state agencies, hospitals, educational institutions, and professional associations in assessing the availability of nurses and educational and employment trends for nurses and making recommendations on recruitment and retention strategies.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2053, to facilitate further discussions.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 422, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 422, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.