STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1535

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 54

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 54 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE LEGISLATURE TO FUND THE HAWAII RURAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage the Legislature to fund the Hawaii rural health care provider loan repayment program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System and Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i.

Your Committee finds that many residents of Hawaii are increasingly unable to obtain timely and appropriate health care due to a shortage of primary health care providers in the State. This may be the result of the increasingly high cost of health care professional education, which often requires individuals to seek out the higher incomes that allow them to repay their student loans in specialty care in urban areas and not in the areas of greatest need in Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that since September 1, 2012, at least twenty-five health care providers have received loan repayment to work in health professional shortage areas in Hawaii and are still serving these communities through the Hawaii rural health care provider loan repayment program. Therefore, further funding is needed to continue the Hawaii rural health care provider loan repayment program to provide loan repayment for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who agree to work in a federally designated health professional shortage area or an area of Hawaii found to be underserved.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 54, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 54, S.D. 1.

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

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair