STAND. COM. REP. NO.  359-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2134

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2134, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CENTER FOR NURSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to support the Hawaii State Center For Nursing (Center) by allowing the Center to continue receiving funding to continue its mission of:

(1)  Collecting and analyzing data regarding the current and future status and trends of the nursing workforce;

(2)  Conducting research on best practices and quality outcomes;

(3)  Developing a plan for implementing strategies to recruit and retain nurses; and

(4)  Researching, analyzing, and reporting data related to the retention of the nursing workforce,

by extending by five years the sunset date of the deposit and disbursement of certain nursing fees into the Compliance Resolution Fund to the credit of the Center For Nursing Special Fund.

     The Board of Nurses, Hawaii Pacific Health, Queen's Medical Center, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and numerous concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Hawaii Nurses' Association and several concerned individuals opposed this measure.

     Your Committee finds that while the work is very important in the area of collecting and studying data, more should be done regarding implementing those programs that will support and sustain the nursing workforce.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the sunset date to July 1, 2010, extending it only one year.

     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. 2134, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2134, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair