HI SCR224

Direct the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, in collaboration with the Judiciary, Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and the Office of the Mayor of Hawai'i County, to conduct a needs and gaps analysis of COVID-19 impacts on the Third Senatorial District in the areas of economy, healthcare capacity, education, and public safety.

Require the analysis to identify programs providing medical, economic, educational, and social services to residents, including annual funding amounts and sources, number of persons served disaggregated by race and gender, service limitations, data availability issues, and recommendations for improvement.

Direct submission of findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2022.

Address documented COVID-19 impacts in the Third Senatorial District including 1,836 confirmed cases with 44 deaths as of December 22, 2020, a 435% increase in unemployment claims (51,948 weekly in 2020 versus 9,711 in 2019), and higher rates of academic underperformance than state averages.

Acknowledge vulnerability of the district due to limited rural healthcare infrastructure, absent or unreliable broadband connections limiting telemedicine access, and higher rates of underlying health conditions in the population.