STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3490

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 27

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 Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 27 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING MAUI HEALTH TO COLLABORATE WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO ESTABLISH A FULL-TIME MEDICAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM ON THE ISLAND OF MAUI,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge Maui Health System to collaborate with stakeholders to establish a full-time medical residency program on the island of Maui.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Health Planning and Development Agency, John A. Burns School of Medicine, and Maui Health System.

Your Committee finds that the State is experiencing a significant shortage of primary care physicians and specialists, which disproportionately impacts rural areas and neighbor islands, including the island of Maui. The physician shortage on Maui was further exacerbated by the 2023 Maui wildfires, which destroyed several West Maui healthcare facilities and forced some physicians and medical workers to relocate. Your Committee notes that the 2025 Hawaii Physician Workforce Report indicates that the County of Maui faces a critical physician shortage of forty-one percent, representing a deficit of approximately one hundred seventy-nine full-time equivalent physicians. Your Committee further finds that there are significant public benefits and positive outcomes in expanding capacity for training medical students, especially on the neighbor islands, with the goal of having these students ultimately remain in the State to practice. This measure supports efforts to expand medical education and training opportunities on the neighbor islands, thereby strengthening the physician workforce pipeline and improving access to care for underserved communities across the State.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 27, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 27, S.D. 1.

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

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair