STAND. COM. REP. NO. (h”L1~tI
Honolulu, Hawaii
APR 03 2025
RE: H.R. No. 188
H.D. 2
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems, to which was
referred H.R. No. 188, H.D. 1, entitled:
“HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SYSTEM
TO ESTABLISH A VETERINARY MEDICINE EXPANSION WORKING GROUP TO
EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A DOCTOR OF VETERINARY
MEDICINE PROGRAM AT WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE,”
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to have the University of
Hawaii System request to establish a Veterinary Medicine Expansion
Working Group to explore the feasibility of developing a Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine program at Windward Community College and ask
that the Working Group include:
(1) A representative of Windward Community College’s
Veterinary Technology program;
(2) A representative of the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s
Veterinarian Education Program;
(3) The Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical
Agriculture and Human Resilience, or the Dean’s
designee;
HR188 HD2 HSCR AGR
 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Page 2
(4) The Chair of the Board of Agriculture, or the Chair’s
designee;
(5) Representatives from private veterinary practice,
including large animal and small animal practitioners,
invited by the President of the University of Hawaii;
(6) One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(7) One member of the Senate, appointed by the President of
the Senate; and
(8) Any other stakeholders, as deemed necessary by the
Working Group; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Working Group is requested to
conduct a feasibility study addressing:
(1) Potential partnerships with veterinary schools on the
United States mainland to facilitate clinical rotations;
(2) The alignment of the State’s education and workforce
pipelines to feed into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
program;
(3) The infrastructure and facilities needed to support a
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program;
(4) The State’s ability to meet accreditation requirements
of the American Veterinary Medical Association;
(5) The faculty and curriculum needed to support the Doctor
of Veterinary Medicine program and to meet accreditation
requirements; and
(6) The availability of funding, including public-private
partnerships and federal grants.
Your Committee received testimony in support from the Animal
Interfaith Alliance in Britian, Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, and
four individuals.
Your Committee amended this measure by:
HR188 HD2 HSCR AGR
 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Page 3
(1) Inserting language to amend the functions of the Working
Group to include the assessment on demand for the DVM
program and their potential integration within the UN
system at the most optimal campus; and
(2) Amending the measure to add a section stating that
community colleges are not authorized to offer doctoral
programs and must obtain accreditation from Western
Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and
University Commission, or another regional accreditor;
and
(3) Adding language to include a UH System representative to
the Working Group.
Your Committee finds that the need to increase educational
facilities for veterinarians is crucial in accordance to the
shortage of available veterinarians in Hawaii. Your Committee
further finds that keeping local veterinarians in Hawaii
correlates with where they attend school, which means increasing
local schools that offer pathways for education in this field is
essential to address this shortage. Your Committee further finds
that the establishment of a Working Group governed by the
University of Hawaii System be created to explore the feasibility
of developing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in other
areas within the Hawaii education system.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems that is attached to this
report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R.
No. 188, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in
the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 188, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committee on Agriculture & Food
Systems,
K RSTIN KAHALOA, Chair
HR188 HD2 HSCR AGR
 State of Hawaii
House of Representatives
The Thirty-third Legislature
I-Is CR,I]’1I
Record of Votes of the Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems
BillfResolution No.: Committee Ref rral: Date:
(2
Lj. I ~
0 The committee is reconsidering its previous decision on the measure.
The recommendation is to: 0 Pass, unamended (as is) Pass, with amendments (HD) 0 Hold
0 Pass short form bill with RD to recommit for future public hearing (recommit)
AGR Members Ayes Ayes (WR) Nays Excused
1. KAHALOA, Kirstin (C)
2. KUSCH, Matthias (VC)
3. LOWEN, Nicole E.
4. PERRUSO, Amy A.
5. QUINLAN, Sean
6.
TOTAL (~C~
The recommendation is: Adopted LI Not Adopted
If joint referral, did not support recommendation.
o~mittee acronym(s) i
Vice Chair’s or designee’s signature: ~ _______
Distribution: Original (White) Committe~ Duplicate (Yellow) — C ief Clerks Office Duplicate (Pink) HMSO