STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3261

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1970

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1970, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII CANCER CENTER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii Cancer Center's Hawaii Tumor Registry.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Health Planning and Development Agency, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association, and twenty-four individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committee finds that cuts to federal funding are projected to significantly impede the vital public health functions that the Hawaii Tumor Registry has performed for over fifty years, unless an alternative revenue source is secured. The comprehensive cancer surveillance services of the Registry empower the State to measure cancer burden accurately and respond effectively, including by providing targeted cancer screening programs in underserved communities; supporting research into cancer disparities among Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and other ethnically diverse populations; and informing rapid community health interventions and state policy responses. This measure seeks to prevent a disruption to essential health services and support continued public health planning.

Your Committee notes, however, that there are multiple funding sources that help support the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, including, for example, federal funding, state appropriations, funding from the Governor, and from the Tobacco Tax and Cancer Research Special Fund. As the State is likely to continue to face significant federal cuts in the near future, and as funds from the Tobacco Tax and Cancer Center Research Special Fund continue to decrease due to declining cigarette sales, it remains critically important that the University of Hawaii Cancer Center does not take on the performance of functions that exceed is funding capabilities. According to testimony received by your Committee, the Hawaii Tumor Registry is a critical component of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, and it concerns your Committee that despite this critical function, it remains inadequately funded from the moneys that have been provided to the Cancer Center for such critical functions. Accordingly, it remains necessary to continue to examine the University of Hawaii Cancer Center's programming, as funding from all sources will likely continue to be jeopardized in light of federal uncertainty and newly endeavored projects could be unsustainable.

Your Committee further notes, however, that if the University of Hawaii wishes that the Cancer Center continue to embark on projects that exceed the scope of its intended function, the University has a considerable surplus in the University of Hawaii Tuition and Fees Special Fund, which has previously also helped to fund the Cancer Center in prior years. Your Committee therefore encourages the University of Hawaii Cancer Center to examine its core mission and prioritize the purposes of the funds being expended to ensure that the Cancer Center can be preserved and continue to benefit residents of the State as was intended in its inception.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the funds shall be appropriated out of the University of Hawaii Tuition and Fees Special Fund;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 31, 2055, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1970, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1970, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair