STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1276

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 262

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 262, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAL RESIDENCY PROGRAMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide additional long-term funding to Hawaii's teaching hospitals to support and expand their physician residency training programs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and Hawaii Medical Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the John A. Burns School of Medicine of the University of Hawai‘i.

Your Committee finds that the State is experiencing a severe shortage of health care professionals in the workforce, particularly in rural areas. There is a reported statewide physician shortage of seven hundred seventy-six full-time equivalents, which is forty-four greater than the previous year. Your Committee further finds that over fifty percent of physicians who complete their residency training in Hawaii will stay to practice locally. The funding provided through this measure is one vehicle to promote physician workforce development and retention in the State.

Your Committee finds, however, that the restriction of requiring a one-to-one match in private funds may impair federal and other funding received for medical residency programs. Further, because the John A. Burns School of Medicine, and not the Department of Health, is the sponsoring entity for the medical residency programs in the State, it is more appropriate for the expending agency to be the School of Medicine.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the requirement of a one-to-one match in private funds;

(2) Changing the expending agency from the Medical Education Council in cooperation with the Department of Health, to the John A. Burns School of Medicine of the University of Hawai‘i;

(3) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 262, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 262, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Health & Homelessness.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education & Technology,

____________________________

AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair