STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2376

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2388

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Higher Education and the Arts and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2388 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE SPECIAL FUND,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Permit monies in the John A. Burns School of Medicine special fund to be used for loan repayment for certain health care professionals;

     (2)  Remove the cap on expenditures from the John A. Burns School of Medicine special fund; and

     (3)  Make permanent the physician workforce assessment fee and related requirements for use of monies in the John A. Burns School of Medicine special fund.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii State Rural Health Association, Lanai Community Health Center, and four individuals.

     Your Committees find that a shortage of primary health care providers affects healthcare costs and threatens the health of Hawaii's residents, particularly in rural communities and on the neighbor islands.  Your Committees further find that the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine's physician workforce assessment is a valuable tool that provides ongoing assessment and planning for Hawaii's physician workforce.  The workforce assessment program has successfully identified the unmet need for physicians across the State and implemented efforts to recruit and retain healthcare providers.

     Your Committees additionally find that it is important to accept and disburse funds toward healthcare student loan repayment to encourage healthcare professionals to work in lower paying geographic areas and specialties such as primary care.  The rising cost of education for healthcare professionals deters many healthcare professionals from working in rural areas or primary care, which limits access to needed healthcare.  The Hawaii state loan repayment program gives primary healthcare providers an incentive to provide care at designated health professional shortage areas in Hawaii in order to receive assistance with repayment of educational loan debt.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and the Arts and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2388 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and the Arts and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

________________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair