STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2799

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2574

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Higher Education and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2574 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funding to:

(1) Develop the Charles Atherton House and property into a University of Hawaii kupuna center; and

(2) Support the activities of the University of Hawaii UHealthy Hawaii initiative.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from a private individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System and University of Hawai‘i Foundation.

Your Committees find that the Charles Atherton House and property is in very close proximity to the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus. The development of the Charles Atherton House into an intergenerational lifelong learning, retirement, and assisted living community would be an excellent means of capitalizing on the unique opportunities created by this proximity. Such development and usage of the Charles Atherton House would provide opportunities for senior learning as well as mentorship of university students. Excellent models for this type of arrangement exist across the nation. The development would also align with the University of Hawaii's UHealthy Hawaii initiative, that has been identified as a priority of the university president. Furthermore, such a development is also an innovative means of addressing the social challenge posed by our limited stock of senior housing. In addition, the development has the potential to create revenue for the University of Hawaii System.

Your Committees further find that the University of Hawaii Foundation, as the property owner, and University of Hawaii System, as the lessee, are in the process of implementing a public-private partnership with Hunt Development Group as the private partner to develop the property as student housing with an entrepreneurship innovation center. If student housing is to be the primary function of the redeveloped Atherton House, as currently conceptualized, a kupuna center with living quarters is not that different a function.

Your Committees have amended this measure by amending the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2574, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2574, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and Human Services,

________________________________ RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair

________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair