STAND. COM. REP. NO. 117

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 91

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 91 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NURSING EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to expand the State's nursing education capacity. 

     Specifically, the measure appropriates funds for nursing workforce development as follows:

     (1)  Appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii to hire additional nursing faculty and support positions at campuses throughout the State;

     (2)  Appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii for the establishment of nursing scholarship and loan programs;

     (3)  Appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii to conduct facility planning and development; and

     (4) Appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii Statewide Nursing Consortium to provide for distance learning.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Center for Nursing of the University of Hawaii, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, two representatives from the Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, The Queen's Medical Center, the University of Hawaii Statewide Nursing Consortium, and five individuals.  Comments on the measure were submitted by the University of Hawaii System.

     Your Committee finds that the current shortage of nurses nationwide is projected to increase to a twenty per cent shortfall by the year 2020.  In Hawaii, it is estimated that thirty-one per cent of Hawaii's nursing workforce will retire by 2015, with sixty-one per cent expected to retire by 2020.  The demand for nurses exceeds the current supply and the gap will continue to grow as nurses retire and our population continues to age.  The health of our residents and the quality of care that they can expect to receive is in jeopardy, and measures must be taken to thwart the ongoing problem.

     Your Committee believes that the University of Hawaii can address the problem through efforts to grow the current nursing workforce by providing adequate faculty and staff for the nursing programs at campuses throughout the State, developing nursing loan and scholarship programs to encourage individuals to pursue nursing careers, expanding current facilities to enhance and improve the nursing program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and developing and utilizing distance learning throughout the State.  Your Committee is also concerned, however, that although the demand for faculty and staff within the nursing programs throughout the State is high, the supply of qualified, willing applicants may not equal the demand.  Therefore, your Committee believes that the appropriation of funds for 46.5 positions for fiscal year 2007-2008 is appropriate at this time.  Thereafter, however, the nursing program needs to provide feedback regarding these new positions and vacancies to allow for the reevaluation of the request for additional positions and moneys for fiscal year 2008-2009.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the appropriation of funds for faculty and staff positions within the nursing programs of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Kapiolani Community College, Maui Community College, Hawaii Community College, and Kauai Community College for fiscal year 2008-2009; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 91, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 91, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair