STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1279

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 119

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 119, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NURSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the establishment of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at the University of Hawaii Maui College.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing; Hawaiʻi Nurses Association – OPEIU Local 50; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Public Health Association; Hawaiʻi – American Nurses Association; AlohaCare; and five individuals.

Your Committee finds that the State is experiencing a growing nursing workforce shortage. Your Committee further finds that Maui County is the largest county in Hawaii without a college or university Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program. Your Committee believes that appropriating funds to establish a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at the University of Hawaii Maui College will increase the supply of nursing graduates, reduce the nursing workforce shortage, and allow Maui nursing students to remain on Maui during their entire course of study.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 119, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 119, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ANDREW TAKUYA GARRETT, Chair