STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2578

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2261

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 S.B. No. 2261 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require Huli Au Ola to conduct a study on physician and dentist recruitment and retention to serve the island of Molokai; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Medical Association, AlohaCare, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that Molokai's limited transportation options and high cost of travel compound patient access challenges, leading to delayed care and poorer health outcomes for local families. A structured assessment of the barriers to recruiting and retaining physicians and dentists on Molokai will equip policymakers with the information needed to design effective incentives, partnerships, and long-term strategies to improve access to continuous medical care for the community. Accordingly, this measure promotes health equity across the islands.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment 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 S.B. No. 2261, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2261, 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