HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.C.R. NO. 114 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 STATE OF HAWAII HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON AGING TO PARTNER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII at manoa CENTER ON AGING TO ESTABLISH A KUPUNA WORKFORCE INNOVATION HUB TO IMPLEMENT SHORT-TERM STRATEGIES OUTLINED IN THE 2025 Strengthening Hawaii's Long-Term Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.C.R. NO. 114
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.C.R. NO.
114
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON AGING TO PARTNER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII at manoa CENTER ON AGING TO ESTABLISH A KUPUNA WORKFORCE INNOVATION HUB TO IMPLEMENT SHORT-TERM STRATEGIES OUTLINED IN THE 2025 Strengthening Hawaii's Long-Term Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan.
WHEREAS, direct care workers are the backbone of the long‑term care system but their efforts are often undervalued, evidenced by lower wages, poor or no employment benefits, and fewer opportunities for full‑time work; and WHEREAS, critical needs for direct care workers are under‑reported without a reliable and systematic data infrastructure for institutional and community-based care; and WHEREAS, the State needs to align with national trends regarding direct care workforce development, but is faced with unique pressures such as worker migration out of the State; and WHEREAS, direct care workers lack core competencies to adequately meet the current care needs of older adults and older adults with special needs; and WHEREAS, direct care workers need a responsive curriculum that improves cultural and core competencies; and WHEREAS, the State acknowledges the successful collaboration achieved at the Long-Term Care Summit in 2024 and the development of the 2025 Strengthening Hawaii's Long-Term Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan by the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging in the midst of global unprecedented population age-shifts; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the Senate concurring, that the Executive Office on Aging is requested to partner with the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging to establish a Kupuna Workforce Innovation Hub to implement short-term strategies outlined in the 2025 Strengthening Hawaii's Long-Term Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Office on Aging is requested to support the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging to continue to meet with stakeholders and gather data to address issues related to the State's direct care workforce; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging is requested to implement preliminary steps as outlined in the 2025 Strengthening Hawaii's Long-Term Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan by: (1) Meeting with key stakeholders to advance objectives and strategies with the goal of improving the recruitment and retention of direct care workers across the State; (2) Standardizing core competencies in aging for direct care workers and strengthening training with expanded curriculum and continuing education offerings to meet competencies in caring for older adults; and (3) Enhancing understanding of direct care worker and employer gaps and needs to implement appropriate and effective polies and workforce strategies such as career pathways and lattices; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Executive Office on Aging for inclusion into the Office's annual report, no later than forty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Office on Aging is requested to include the findings and recommendations received from the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging, including any proposed legislation, in its annual report to the Legislature; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Director of the Executive Office on Aging, President of the University of Hawaii System, and Interim Director of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: EOA; UH; Direct Care Workforce Development Strategic Plan; Long-Term Care; Reports
WHEREAS, direct care workers are the backbone of the long‑term care system but their efforts are often undervalued, evidenced by lower wages, poor or no employment benefits, and fewer opportunities for full‑time work; and
WHEREAS, critical needs for direct care workers are under‑reported without a reliable and systematic data infrastructure for institutional and community-based care; and
WHEREAS, the State needs to align with national trends regarding direct care workforce development, but is faced with unique pressures such as worker migration out of the State; and
WHEREAS, direct care workers lack core competencies to adequately meet the current care needs of older adults and older adults with special needs; and
WHEREAS, direct care workers need a responsive curriculum that improves cultural and core competencies; and
WHEREAS, the State acknowledges the successful collaboration achieved at the Long-Term Care Summit in 2024 and the development of the 2025 Strengthening Hawaii's Long-Term Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan by the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging in the midst of global unprecedented population age-shifts; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the Senate concurring, that the Executive Office on Aging is requested to partner with the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging to establish a Kupuna Workforce Innovation Hub to implement short-term strategies outlined in the 2025 Strengthening Hawaii's Long-Term Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Office on Aging is requested to support the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging to continue to meet with stakeholders and gather data to address issues related to the State's direct care workforce; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging is requested to implement preliminary steps as outlined in the 2025 Strengthening Hawaii's Long-Term Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan by:
(1) Meeting with key stakeholders to advance objectives and strategies with the goal of improving the recruitment and retention of direct care workers across the State;
(2) Standardizing core competencies in aging for direct care workers and strengthening training with expanded curriculum and continuing education offerings to meet competencies in caring for older adults; and
(3) Enhancing understanding of direct care worker and employer gaps and needs to implement appropriate and effective polies and workforce strategies such as career pathways and lattices; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Executive Office on Aging for inclusion into the Office's annual report, no later than forty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Office on Aging is requested to include the findings and recommendations received from the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging, including any proposed legislation, in its annual report to the Legislature; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Director of the Executive Office on Aging, President of the University of Hawaii System, and Interim Director of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Aging.
OFFERED BY: _____________________________
OFFERED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
EOA; UH; Direct Care Workforce Development Strategic Plan; Long-Term Care; Reports