STAND. COM. REP. NO.  6

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

 

RE:   H.B. No. 916

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 916 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LOAN REPAYMENT FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage health care professionals to provide services to underserved regions statewide by appropriating funds to be expended by the Department of Health in coordination with the John A. Burns School of Medicine for the Health Care Professionals Loan Repayment Program.  Funds appropriated by this measure shall be expended only if matched dollar-for-dollar by funds from a private or other public source.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, University of Hawai‘i, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Lanai Community Health Center, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Medical Association, Hilo Medical Center Foundation, East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Na Lei Wili Area Health Education Center, and numerous individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Medical Board.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Replacing the $250,000 appropriation with a blank amount; and

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2090, for purposes of further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 916, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 916, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Higher Education.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair