STAND. COM. REP. NO. 968

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 991

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 991, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

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

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure adequate access to medical care in rural, medically underserved areas of the State by establishing and appropriating funds for the Hawaii Medical Doctor Loan Program to provide financial assistance for:

 

     (1)  Students who complete a state-approved medical school program at the University of Hawaii and agree to practice in rural areas of the State; or

 

     (2)  Graduates of a medical school who have received medical training from a Hawaii-based medical program and agree to practice in rural areas of the State.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Medical Service Association, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Hawaii Medical Association, AARP, and the Hawaii Association for Justice.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Budget and Finance.

 

     Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committees find that the Hawaii Medical Doctor Loan Program is a loan repayment program that will be an essential tool for recruiting and retaining health care professionals in medically underserved and rural areas of the State.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Reconciling the six year loan term with a minimum commitment of six consecutive years to practice medicine in a rural area of the State, as opposed to a ten year commitment; and

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2009.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 991, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 991, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Higher Education,

 

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair