STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1262

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 952

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 Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 952, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PARKINSON'S DISEASE RESEARCH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Parkinson's Disease Research Collection Database to be administered by the Department of Health, to house a collection of data on the incidence of Parkinson's disease in the State;

(2) Establish the Parkinson's Disease Research Collection Database Advisory Committee; and

(3) Require the Department of Health to create a Parkinson's Disease Research Collection Database webpage by January 1, 2026, and submit annual reports to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Parkinson Association, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaiʻi Family Caregiver Coalition, Brain Matters LLC, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and eight individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that approximately one million people in the United States, and between four and seven thousand people in the State, live with Parkinson's disease, a chronic neurodegenerative disease that gradually worsens over time. Your Committee further finds that the estimated annual national economic burden to society from Parkinson's disease is $52 billion each year in medical and non-medical expenses and is expected to exceed $79 billion by 2037. Your Committee notes that the importance of collecting critical research data is the first step to better understand who develops Parkinson's disease and why. By establishing a Parkinson's Disease Research Collection Database, this measure expands the State's understanding of Parkinson's disease to ultimately improve the lives of those affected and determine incidence and prevalence of Parkinson's disease more accurately.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing the department of health with the state health planning and development agency as the entity responsible for the establishment and administration of the Parkinson's Disease Research Collection Database;

(2) Inserting a blank appropriation amount to the State Health Planning and Development Agency for the establishment and administration of the Parkinson's Disease Research Collection Database; provided that the State Health Planning and Development Agency may contract the services of an appropriate entity for implementation;

(3) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

(4) 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 Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 952, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 952, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair