STAND. COM. REP. NO. 142
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2007
RE: H.B. No. 378
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Fourth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2007
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 378 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NURSING EDUCATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to help address Hawaii's serious shortage of nursing professionals by appropriating funds to the University of Hawaii (UH) to:
(1) Hire more nursing faculty and support positions;
(2) Provide nursing scholarships and loans;
(3) Expand UH School of Nursing facilities;
(4) Advance the work of the Hawaii Statewide Nursing Consortium; and
(5) Provide distance learning.
The Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Government Employees Association, Queen's Medical Center, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Hawaii State Center for Nursing, Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, and several concerned individuals supported this bill. UH submitted comments on this measure.
Your Committee finds that innovative methods must be used to fulfill Hawaii's need for more nursing professionals. This bill provides substantial funding for programs to assist in this goal. Your Committee supports this initiative and sees it as providing additional funding to UH's nursing program without affecting appropriation requests made by the UH Board of Regents and placed in the Executive budget.
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. 378 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair |
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