Bill Text: HI SB596 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Hawaii Health Corps

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2012-06-29 - (S) Act 187, 6/28/2012 (Gov. Msg. No. 1290). [SB596 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-SB596-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1165

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   S.B. No. 596

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 596, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII HEALTH CORPS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to encourage physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners to practice in counties in the State with the greatest need for medical services, by providing for loan repayments for individuals who practice in those areas for at least five years.

 

     Specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Establishes the Hawaii Health Corps Program;

    

     (2)  Establishes the Hawaii Rural Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program to provide loan repayments on behalf of eligible physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who practice in counties with shortages of these positions, with priority given to those serving in rural areas and preference to graduates of University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine or University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene;

 

     (3)  Creates the Hawaii Health Corps Revolving Fund; and

 

     (4)  Makes appropriations to support the purpose and intent of this measure.

 

     The Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs; Hawaii Medical Service Association; AlohaCare; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation; Kau Hospital; Hawaii Health Systems Corporation; Hilo Medical Center Foundation; Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii; University of Hawaii System; and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Workforce Development Council offered comments.

 

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Focusing on Hilo Medical Center's rural interdisciplinary residency program by appropriating an unspecified amount of funds to implement and sustain the program;

    

     (2)  Deleting the Hawaii Health Corps Program, Hawaii Rural Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program, and the Hawaii Health Corps Revolving Fund; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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 S.B. No. 596, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 596, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

____________________________ SCOTT NISHIMOTO, Chair

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair