Hawaii-2021-SB517-Introduced

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that, as a result of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many healthcare facilities experienced unprecedented staffing shortages as staff members became sick or were dedicated to COVID-19 treatment units and therefore unavailable for other types of duties.

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.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	517
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII