STAND. COM. REP. NO. 494-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2805

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water & Land and Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 2805 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization to conduct a multiethnic cohort study regarding the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; University of Hawaiʻi System; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Malama Kula; Hawaii Medical Association; Hawaiʻi Public Health Association; American Lung Association Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Health C.A.R.E.S. Hui; and numerous individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committees find that the effect of the wildfires on the health and welfare of Maui residents and the needs of the community should be examined carefully so that informed decisions can be made toward the implementation of policies necessary to the recovery process.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the scope of the multiethnic cohort study is the health effects of the 2023 Maui wildfires;

(2) Specifying that this measure is a matter of statewide concern;

(3) Requiring the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization to maintain a registry of those affected by the wildfires to assess their long-term health and well-being;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committees respectfully request your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $1,500,000 for the multi-ethnic cohort study and $834,681 for the registry.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Higher Education & Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2805, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2805, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water & Land and Higher Education & Technology,

____________________________ AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair