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 S.B. No. 402, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a graduate medical education and health professions education program to be administered by a newly created Medical Education Council (Council).

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is facing a rapidly worsening shortage of nearly every kind of health care worker. The purpose of the newly created Council is to assess the scope of this problem and propose solutions to ensure that the State has the type and number of health care professionals needed to provide care for our population now and in the future. This measure will also create the Hawaii Medical Education Special Fund to permit the Council to carry out its responsibilities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical amendment to clarify that the name of the program created is "graduate medical education program"; and by making a few technical nonsubstantive changes.

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 S.B. No. 402, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 402, S.D. 2.