STAND. COM. REP. NO. 491-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1594

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1594, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CENTER FOR NURSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure

(1) Require all licensed nurses to respond to the Center for Nursing Workforce Supply Survey upon license renewal; and

(2) Increase the Center for Nursing fee.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii at Manoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing, Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing, The Queen's Health Systems, Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i, Hawaii-American Nurses Association, and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Nursing.

Your Committee finds that the Center for Nursing was established in 2003, to be funded through a biennial $40 fee assessed per individual nurse licensee. The fee has not been adjusted since that time and a modest increase is now needed to help the Center sustain the staffing needed to maintain its programs and meet its mandates. Additionally, your Committee finds that the Center for Nursing has faced challenges in securing adequate Nursing Workforce Supply Survey responses. Requiring responses to the survey will improve the Hawaii State Center for Nursing's ability to aggregate nursing workforce data and better inform policy makers, health care leaders, and others on the availability and characteristics of the nursing workforce in the State.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1594, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair