STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1869

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1301

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1301, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CANCER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys for the University of Hawaii Cancer Center to conduct a multiethnic cohort study focusing on the social determinants of health, lifestyles, environmental exposures, and resilience factors of Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Filipinos.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Hawaii Primary Care Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Hawaii Medical Association, and twenty-two individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the University of Hawaii and one individual.

Your Committee finds that Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Filipinos have some of the highest rates of certain types of cancer. Your Committee notes that although previous studies have identified diet, tobacco use, sociocultural impacts, and other contributing factors, those factors do not fully account for reasons these ethnicities experience higher cancer rates compared to the general population. Your Committee believes that the moneys appropriated by this measure will support efforts to identify additional factors that contribute to increased cancer rates for individuals of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or Filipino descent and provide guidance to address those disparities.

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 H.B. No. 1301, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair