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. 963 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish the Hawaii Health Corps Program (Program) to provide health care to underserved areas of the state.

The Hawaii Primary Care Association testified in support of this bill.

Your Committee finds that the number of uninsured residents in Hawaii continues to grow and that the problem is aggravated in rural areas that already have a shortage of health professionals. Hawaii has 16 federally recognized medically underserved areas and populations and 13 areas that qualify as health professional shortage areas. The Program is a scholarship and educational loan repayment program that would encourage newly licensed health professionals to practice in these areas.

The Program would be funded by the State, with possible contributions later by the federal Bureau of Health Professions. A reasonable amount for the Program would be $200,000 in its initial year, with annual increases, up to a maximum of $2,000,000.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Making dentists, dental hygienists, psychologists, and

(2) Changing the appropriation amount to $1 to promote

(3) Making technical, nonsubstative changes for clarity,

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. 963, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 963, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.