Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1110 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to help address the serious shortage of nurses by re-establishing the two-year Operation Nightingale program to help nurses review and train for the state Board of Nursing examination.

The University of Phoenix, Hawaii Campus, testified in support of this bill. The HGEA testified in support of the bill's intent. The Department of Health testified in opposition to this bill. The University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene provided comments on this bill.

Your Committee finds that this bill would assist nursing candidates whose second language is English and who may face challenges when taking the written examination, by giving them an opportunity to participate in the Operation Nightingale program to help them successfully pass the nursing examination.

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 H.B. No. 1110 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.