Senate Standing Committee on Health and Human Services

Like to call to order.

First of all the Committee on Higher education for our three o'clock agenda. Today's March 24th conference room 229. This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube like the event that we have to abruptly end this hearing due to technical difficulties.

Committee will reconvene any outstanding business later today because we have deadlines in Conference Room 229 at 4:15pm and a public notice will be posted on the Legislature's website. So first item on the agenda is SCR137 requesting the Office of the Auditor conduct a performance audit in the University of Hawaii Foundation.

We did have the Sr at our last hearing. This is the SCR and here to testify in person is Christine Ko. It's okay. Please come forward. Sorry. Christine's name for the foundation.

So Tim Dolan from UH Foundation, CEO. And we stand behind our written testimony that is was submitted last week.

Right. Appreciate that. Thank you very much. Auditor. Office of the Auditor justifying anybody here if not Members. Any questions? Hearing none. Thank you. Members. I'm going to defer. Thank you. I'm going to defer decision making on this item when we'll go ahead and go Forward on our 301pm agenda.

And this is request SCR 203 and SCR SR 163. Okay. What happened? 63. Where's SCR 203? Oh yeah, it's on there. Okay.

I guess I have to adjourn the one classes.

Going to order the Education and Joint Committee with the Joint Committee on Health and Human services on our 301 agenda. This is for SCR 203 and SR 167 requesting the University wide to explore the feasibility of establishing an Alzheimer's disease research center.

Identifying the requirements for receiving federal funding from the National Institute on Aging for Alzheimer's Disease research and and testify on this matter. We have Coby Chock from the Alzheimer's Association in person. I'm going to take both items together. SCR and SR. Good. Thank you.

Thank you. Chair Kim. Chair Kim, members of the committees, I'm Coby Chock with the Alzheimer's Association in strong support of this measure which would really request the University to get the ball rolling on establishing an ADRC here in the state. I know the university has concerns about federal funding which we all do.

But just a note, we are a nonpartisan organization and across several years we've increased funding substantially. This year the continuing resolution that congress passed kept the funding alive and continuing.

And this would really get us to a point where we know what the next steps are so that when we come back next year, we'll have a better idea of what the financial picture is and we can proceed from there. We're here for any questions. Thank you senators.

Members, any questions? Hearing none. That's the only testimony I have signed up in person. But is there anyone else here wishing to testify on this measure or anyone on Zoom? Yes.

We do believe chairs and members, we do believe there will be money for Alzheimer's even with chaos in Washington.

So this might be a good idea just based on the fact that we have such a diverse population and the opportunity for research here is very rich in this regard with respect to this disease, which is finally getting some kind of therapeutic options that really we need to apply. So probably worth giving it a shot. Thank you.

Absolutely. Thank you so much. Anyone else wishing to testify on this measure. I just want to note that at some point, many of us may end up getting Alzheimer's. And I might not even remember that I said this back then. Here. Oh, yeah. So thank you so much. I think it's important. Any questions? Members of any testifiers?

No hearing. None.

We are going to recess for decision making. Going back to order.

The committees. Joint committees on Higher Education and on Health and Human Services. We're going to go to your. To scr 203 and Sr 167. I'm sorry. 163 for a vote. And the recommendation by the Chair is to pass as is. Any discussion. Members? Hearing none. Would you like to start? Yes.

For Health and Human Services, same recommendation. Acting Vice Chair Senator Keohokalole for the vote.

[Roll call]

Okay. Thank you. So that takes care of our HHS vote. And the Higher Education Committee will recess until we get our forum to order.

The Committee on Higher Education.

We are in decision making. We have just two measures. The first one is scr1 3 sip 137 requesting the Office of the Auditor conduct a performance audit on the University of Hawaii Foundation. The recommendation is to pass as is. Just as it was done with the SR last week. So with that, the Chair votes aye.

[Roll call]

As I indicated earlier, I will be voting no. Thank you.

All right.

Thank you.

[Roll call]

Thank you. And for the last item on the Agenda, SCR203SR116 this is the University wide to explore the feasibility of establishing an Alzheimer's Disease Research Center on identifying the requirements for receiving federal funding from the National Institute on Aging. The recommendation is to pass as is Is it discussion Members hearing none share.

[Roll call]

We are adjourned. Thank you very much.