STAND. COM. REP. NO. 136-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2159

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2159 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for additional positions in the University of Hawaii to address the State's health care workforce shortage.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System; Hawaii Medical Association; Hawaii Primary Care Association; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Navian Hawaii; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that severe shortages in the health profession disciplines and most medical specialties have severely limited access to care, particularly in rural and underserved areas, impacting certain minorities and vulnerable persons. Your Committee believes that this measure, which establishes additional clinical faculty positions at various colleges within the University of Hawaii System, will strengthen the ability of the University of Hawaii to address critical workforce shortages by filling key educational, training, and clinical-translational research roles.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation and position counts to unspecified amounts;

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

(3) 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 that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2159, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2159, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Health.

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

____________________________

ANDREW TAKUYA GARRETT, Chair