Informing the Legislature that on May 27, 2025, the Governor signed the following bill into law: HB718 HD1 SD1 CD1 (ACT 086).

This bill (HB718) appropriates $763,000 to fund specific positions at the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). It creates three new faculty roles in cardiovascular biology, tropical medicine, and quantitative health biostatistics, plus one environmental health and safety officer staff position. These positions aim to strengthen JABSOM’s research on health disparities affecting Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, address infectious disease research needs, and maintain critical infrastructure like the chiller plant after a contract ends. The funding supports JABSOM’s mission to improve healthcare education, research, and services across Hawaiʻi and the Asia-Pacific region.