STAND. COM. REP. NO. 227

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1217

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 Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1217 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO POSITIONS AT THE JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) to establish:

(1) Faculty positions in the fields of cardiovascular biology, tropical medicine, and quantitative health biostatistics; and

(2) An Environmental Health and Safety Officer staff position.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine and University of Hawaii Professional Assembly.

Your Committee finds that advancing the research conducted by JABSOM will enable the health care community to better understand potential health disparities across a wide spectrum of conditions and diseases commonly experienced by many residents of the State. Establishing additional faculty positions in cardiovascular biology, tropical medicine, and quantitative health biostatistics will allow JABSOM to further innovate and fulfill long-term goals to improve health in the State and the Asia-Pacific region. Your Committee further finds that the Honolulu Board of Water Supply will not renew its contract with JABSOM to maintain the chiller plant-cooling system at JABSOM's Kakaako Health and Wellness Medical School. Therefore, JABSOM requires personnel to provide regular maintenance of the system, which is essential to the continued operation of emergency services. This measure appropriates funds to JABSOM to support its goals to improve health outcomes in the State and the Asia-Pacific region and provide emergency services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1217, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1217, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair