STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1792

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.C.R. No. 195

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 195, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SYSTEM TO ESTABLISH A VETERINARY MEDICINE EXPANSION WORKING GROUP TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE PROGRAM AT WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to have the University of Hawaii System request to establish a Veterinary Medicine Expansion Working Group to explore the feasibility of developing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at Windward Community College and ask that the Working Group include:

(1) A representative of Windward Community College's Veterinary Technology program;

(2) A representative of the University of Hawaii at Hilo's Veterinarian Education Program;

(3) The Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, or the Dean's designee;

(4) The Chair of the Board of Agriculture, or the Chair's designee;

(5) Representatives from private veterinary practice, including large animal and small animal practitioners, invited by the President of the University of Hawaii;

(6) One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(7) One member of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate; and

(8) Any other stakeholders, as deemed necessary by the Working Group; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Working Group is requested to conduct a feasibility study addressing:

(1) Potential partnerships with veterinary schools on the United States mainland to facilitate clinical rotations;

(2) The alignment of the State's education and workforce pipelines to feed into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program;

(3) The infrastructure and facilities needed to support a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program;

(4) The State's ability to meet accreditation requirements of the American Veterinary Medical Association;

(5) The faculty and curriculum needed to support the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program and to meet accreditation requirements; and

(6) The availability of funding, including public-private partnerships and federal grants.

Your Committee received testimony in support from the University of Hawaiʻi System, Hawaiian Humane Society, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, and seven individuals.

Your Committee amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language to amend the functions of the Working Group to include the assessment on demand for the DVM program and their potential integration within the UH system at the most optimal campus; and

(2) Amending the measure to add a section stating that community colleges are not authorized to offer doctoral programs and must obtain accreditation from Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission, or another regional accreditor; and

(3) Adding language to include a UH System representative to the Working Group.

Your Committee finds that the need to increase educational facilities for veterinarians is crucial in accordance to the shortage of available veterinarians in Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that keeping local veterinarians in Hawaii correlates with where they attend school, which means increasing local schools that offer pathways for education in this field is essential to address this shortage. Your Committee further finds that the establishment of a Working Group governed by the University of Hawaii System be created to explore the feasibility of developing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in other areas within the Hawaii education system.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 195, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 195, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems,

____________________________

KIRSTIN KAHALOA, Chair