STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2720

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2545

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Health and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2545 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage medical research into the causes, cure, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease by creating a task force to study the feasibility of establishing an Alzheimer's research center in Hawaii.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, the Alzheimer's Association, Kokua Council, and one individual.

     Your Committees find that the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease is increasing with the growing elder population in Hawaii.  Establishing a task force under the supervision of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine to study the feasibility of an Alzheimer's research center is a necessary step forward to address the need for medical research into the causes, cure, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease in Hawaii's multi-ethnic population.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2545 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Education,

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair