STAND. COM. REP. NO. 876

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 141

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 141, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE ASSESSMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to support physician workforce assessment and planning.

     More specifically, this measure aids the strategic recruitment and retention of physicians for rural and medically underserved areas of the State by allowing the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine to continue receiving revenues from the physician workforce assessment fee until June 30, 2022.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Lanai Community Health Center, Hawaii Area Health Education Center, Hawaii Pacific Health, Kaiser Permanente, Hawaii Island Rural Health Association, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Academy of Family Physicians, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, Hilo Medical Center Foundation, and nineteen individuals.

     The Hawaii Medical Board and one individual submitted written comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's physician shortage is compounded by having the fifth oldest physician workforce in the country.  The Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment Program attempts to address this shortage through research on the supply and demand of physicians in the State, interventions to recruit physicians, and identifying and implementing ways to increase career satisfaction among practicing physicians.  The program receives a portion of the revenues generated by the physician workforce assessment fee to fund its efforts.

Your Committee finds that extending the fee assessment's sunset date will help support the State's efforts to act rapidly on tangible solutions to adequately address the physician workforce shortage and the ongoing need for a strong physician workforce.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to March 9, 2092, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 141, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 141, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair