CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 7-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    S.B. No. 2146

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2146, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to support the activities of the Hawaii State Center for Nursing (Center) in conducting research and implementing strategies to recruit and retain nurses.  This measure:

     (1)  Allows the Center to continue receiving funds by extending, from July 1, 2009, to July 1, 2014, the sunset date for the deposit of certain nursing fees into the Center for Nursing Special Fund;

     (2)  Requires two of the three representatives of the Hawaii Nurses' Association who sit on the advisory board of the Center to represent the professional component, and one representative to be a non-managerial staff nurse; and

     (3)  Requires the Center's advisory board to submit the following reports to the Legislature prior to the 2009 Regular Session:

          (A)  An interim report on the progress and findings of the five-year longitudinal study being conducted by the Center regarding the turnover of new graduate registered nurses and best practices in nurse retention; and

          (B)  A report on funding alternatives that will enable the Center to continue its operations and services.

     Your Committee upon further consideration has amended S.B. No. 2146, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, by changing the effective date to July 1, 2008.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2146, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2146, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JERRY L. CHANG, Co-Chair	____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair
_______________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Co-Chair	____________________________ RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair
____________________________ MARILYN B. LEE, Co-Chair