STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1521

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 714

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 714, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys to support educational programs that expand the health care workforce in Hawaii.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism; Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Hawaii State Council on Mental Health; Hawaii State Health Planning and Development Agency; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; University of Hawaii; Hawaii Health Systems Corporation; AlohaCare; Alzheimer's Association - Hawaii; Hawaii-American Nurses Association; Hawaii Pacific Health; Hawaii Primary Care Association; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Hilo Benioff Medical Center; Liberty Dialysis/Fresenius Kidney Care; Society for Human Resource Management Hawaii Chapter; and The Queen's Health Systems.

Your Committee finds that the State is facing a growing health care workforce shortage due in part to the increasing demand from the State's aging population, with nearly four thousand seven hundred openings for non-physician, patient-facing roles. Educational programs, including the public high school health care certificate programs and Healthcare Association of Hawaii's CNA+ to LPN glidepath program, help address the shortage by providing training, career advancement, and financial support for new and existing health care workers. Your Committee further finds that appropriating moneys to support health care workforce development programs will help meet Hawaii's rising health care needs.

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. 714, 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,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair