Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 281 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to alleviate the shortage of nurses and nurse educators by establishing the Nursing Scholars Program (Program) to provide scholarships to individuals pursuing graduate nursing degrees.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, University of Phoenix – Hawaii Campus, and Queen's Medical Center testified in support of this measure. The University of Hawaii supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee recognizes that Hawaii is experiencing a growing nursing shortage. A contributing factor is the lack of qualified nursing instructors. The Program's primary function is to draw more nursing faculty which, in turn, is expected to produce more practicing nurses.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 281, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 281, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.