STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2368

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3100

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3100 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to rename the Hawaii Health Corps Program to the Hawaii Rural Healthcare Provider Loan Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Health Corps Program was established in 2012 with a focus on encouraging certain health care providers to serve in counties that are experiencing shortages of physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, with a priority given to rural counties. In 2023, the State launched the Hawaii Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program (HELP) to provide educational loan debt repayment to qualified health care professionals in the State. Your Committee further finds that due to HELP having an expanded scope and purpose compared to the current Hawaii Health Corps Program, this measure clarifies and renames the existing Hawaii Health Corps Program to better reflect the program's current purposes.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3100, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3100, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair