STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1410-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2274

S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 2274, S.D. 2, 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 is to:

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

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

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

Your Committee finds that the Center for Nursing's Workforce Supply Survey is the largest and most comprehensive compilation of nursing voices in the State. However, challenges to securing adequate responses to this survey have severely limited the Center's ability to continue to inform policy makers, health care leaders, and others on the availability and characteristics of the nursing workforce in the State. Requiring responses to this survey will improve the Center's ability to aggregate nursing workforce data and provide more accurate information on these issues.

Your Committee further finds that the Center for Nursing is funded through a biennial $40 fee assessed per individual nurse licensee. The fee has not been adjusted since the Center was established in 2003, and a modest increase is now needed to help the Center sustain the staffing needed to maintain its programs and meet its mandates.

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 S.B. No. 2274, S.D. 2, 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