CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 226-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2274

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2274, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require all nurses to respond to the Center for Nursing Workforce Supply Survey in conjunction with license renewal, but does not penalize a nurse for failure to do so; and

(2) Increase the additional Center for Nursing fee from $40 to $60 per licensing biennium.

Your Committee on Conference finds that the Hawaii State Center for Nursing was created to collect and analyze data related to current and future trends in nursing, and recruit and retain nurses. Since 2003, the Center has made significant progress in creating statewide initiatives and programs to address the nursing shortage and increase access to health care throughout the State. Your Committee on Conference further finds that the Center for Nursing fees, which help to fund the Center's activities, has not increased since 2003, and the State again faces a nursing shortage. This measure requires nurses to respond to the Center for Nursing Workforce Supply Survey in conjunction with license renewal, but does not penalize a nurse for failure to do so, and increases the Center for Nursing fee from $40 to $60 per licensing biennium.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the requirement that nurses respond to the Center for Nursing Workforce Supply Survey;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2022; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2274, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2274, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE Co-Chair	____________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE Chair
____________________________ LISA KITAGAWA Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Co-Chair
____________________________ ADRIAN K. TAM Co-Chair	____________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO Co-Chair