Bill Text: HI SB517 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Healthcare Workforce Development.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-01-27 - Referred to HTH/LCA, WAM. [SB517 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2021-SB517-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
517 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
The
legislature additionally finds that this staffing shortage increased burdens on patients,
other workers, and the healthcare system and could be alleviated in the future
by investing in the healthcare workforce pipeline.
The
legislature also finds that, according to the Healthcare Association of Hawaii's 2019
Hawaii Healthcare Workforce Initiative Report, there were two thousand two hundred
unfilled non-physician healthcare jobs across the State. The professions with the highest demand
include many entry-level fields such as medical assistants, nurse aides,
patient service representatives, and phlebotomists. Open positions in these fields take, on
average, between six and twelve months to fill.
The legislature further finds that healthcare
educational programs in high schools and community colleges that offer
healthcare training and certifications have been a success. These programs expose students to the career
possibilities within healthcare at a young age, allowing certain students to
receive healthcare credentials, hands-on training, and college credits that enable
many participants to begin their careers in entry-level positions that pay well
above minimum wage. Existing educational
programs, such as high school health academies or certain pipeline programs at
community colleges, can serve as a template for efforts to expand and enhance
the State's healthcare workforce pipeline.
The legislature further finds that the
pandemic created a difficult economic environment for the State. While not every displaced or newly employable
worker can enter into healthcare, it is a viable field for many in the State to
help fill the State's healthcare shortages. This is an opportunity to support local jobs
and educational opportunities in a field that needs eligible workers.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a public-private
partnership to develop and increase the healthcare workforce in the State.
SECTION 2. Chapter 202, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§202-A Healthcare
workforce development; public-private partnership. (a) The
workforce development council shall implement and manage
a public-private partnership to develop and increase the healthcare workforce
in the State. Subject to available funds,
the public-private partnership shall:
(1) Expand the number of high schools
and community colleges that have programs that facilitate students' entry into
the healthcare profession;
(2) Employ
a program coordinator to track which high schools and community colleges offer
healthcare career path programs and employment opportunities;
(3) Recruit
additional clinical training instructors from community college faculty, department
of education faculty, and private industry;
(4) Purchase
clinical equipment and supplies necessary for classroom instruction;
(5) Purchase
software to track and match students with clinical training opportunities
necessary for their education and certifications;
(6) Provide
scholarships for Native Hawaiian and other minority students who are
underrepresented in the healthcare industry;
(7) Offer
paid internship programs to ease the transition to employment in the healthcare
industry after graduation;
(8) Provide
transportation and other supports necessary to ensure equitable access to
educational, training, and internship opportunities; and
(9) Expand
offerings at community colleges that put students into a direct workforce
pipeline.
§202-B Healthcare workforce development special fund; established. There is established outside of the state
treasury the healthcare workforce development special fund to be administered
by the workforce development council, to implement and manage the
public-private partnership established pursuant to section 202-A. The fund shall consist of appropriations from
federal, state, and local governments and contributions from private entities."
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the healthcare workforce development special fund the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021-2022 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to implement and manage a public-private partnership to develop and increase the healthcare workforce in the State.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the workforce development council for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. In codifying the new sections added by section 2 of this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute appropriate section numbers for the letters used in designating the new sections in this Act.
SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION
6. This Act shall take effect on July 1,
2021.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Healthcare Workforce Development; Workforce Development Council
Description:
Requires the workforce development council to implement and manage a public-private partnership to develop and increase the healthcare workforce in the State.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
