Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2585 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a loan repayment assistance program for dentists serving underserved populations.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Hawaii Dental Association and Hawaii Primary Care Association.

Your Committee finds that there is a severe shortage of dentists in Hawaii who serve remote rural areas and communities where poverty, language, and cultural barriers exist. Your Committee further finds that this subsidy would be a boon to underserved communities and their recruitment and retention efforts of qualified dental professionals.

Your Committee has made non-substantive, technical amendments to this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2585, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2585, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.