STAND. COM. REP. NO.  537

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1531

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1531 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to alleviate the current and anticipated shortage of nurses in Hawaii by appropriating funds to the University of Hawaii (UH) to:

     (1)  Hire more nursing faculty and support positions;

     (2)  Establish a graduate nursing faculty loan program;

     (3)  Create a nursing student scholarship program; and

     (4)  Increase facilities for nursing programs.

     The Hawaii State Center for Nursing, UH Statewide Nursing Consortium, Hawaii Pacific Health, Hawaii Quentin Burdick Rural Health Interdisciplinary Training Program, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and two concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  UH and UH School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene supported the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Inserting an appropriation of $400,000 for the Hawaii Quentin Burdick Rural Health Interdisciplinary Training Program; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 1531, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1531, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

____________________________

JERRY L. CHANG, Chair