Wide slate of grant-in-aid requests brought to House Finance committee; priorities include beach safety, health care, wildfire recovery and youth services

Nearly 170 organizations and programs presented oral testimony and asked the House Committee on Finance for state grant‑in‑aid funding during a marathon public hearing Feb. 14, centered on capital and operating requests for community services across the islands.

The hearing featured requests for public‑safety projects, health‑care expansions, wildfire recovery, early‑childhood and workforce programs, food security efforts and arts and cultural initiatives. Testifiers described local shortages — from lifeguarded beaches and emergency medical access to affordable childcare and facilities destroyed by the 2023 Maui wildfires — and asked lawmakers to consider investments that proponents said would yield community and economic benefits.

Why it matters: The GIA program is one of the main ways the Legislature directs state dollars to specific community needs not covered by departmental budgets. Committee members heard a mix of operational requests (ongoing program support) and capital requests (design, facilities, and construction). Many organizations linked their asks to immediate public‑safety gaps or to long‑term recovery and resilience work.

Top themes and notable requests

- Beach and water safety: Branch Lotzpeech, executive director of the Rescue Tube Foundation, highlighted drowning statistics and asked the Legislature to support expanding the foundation’s public rescue tube program. “Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 15 in Hawaii,” Lotzpeech told the committee, and he said the foundation wants to install 500 new rescue tubes in underserved areas.

- Health and emergency care: Several health providers requested funds for facility upgrades, planning, or new services. Steve Sparks, president of the Puna Community Medical Center Foundation, sought support to complete design and planning for a Puna medical campus that proponents said would improve ER access for eastern Hawaii island residents who face lengthy drives to Hilo Medical Center. Other health requests included funding for hospice, palliative training, expanded pharmacy residency support and hospital equipment.

- Wildfire recovery and cultural institutions: Multiple Maui organizations asked for operating or capital support tied to the 2023 Lahaina wildfires. The Maui Humane Society described free veterinary clinics for displaced pet owners; arts and cultural groups requested funds to reopen venues and to continue community programming that served fire survivors.

- Early childhood, youth and workforce programs: Testimony included requests for preschool expansion, youth mentorship and STEM/computer‑science teacher training. Several organizations said the investments would improve long‑term education and workforce outcomes while also supporting working families.

- Food security and local agriculture: Food banks, community farms, and programs to increase local protein production requested capital and operating funds. One speaker noted island‑wide egg and supply disruptions and urged investment in local production capacity.

Representative examples and amounts (as stated during testimony)

- Patsy T. Mink Center at YWCA Oahu: a capital and operating request; the speaker gave a capital figure of $694,544 for renovation planning and construction phases. - Waianae Coast Community Health Center: two $1,000,000 GIA requests to fund fire‑break protection and security upgrades on a high‑risk campus. - Trust for Public Land: $525,000 requested for community park design and permitting (Oala Park). - Saint James Church (Waimea) community center: $250,000 CIP request toward a $5,000,000 project; speakers said roughly $4,000,000 has been raised privately.

What advocates stressed

Speakers repeatedly tied one‑time capital investments to ongoing community benefits: safer beaches and fewer preventable deaths; local health infrastructure that reduces emergency transport times; community centers that support meals programs, childcare and workforce training; and cultural institutions that provide education and tourism value. Several testifiers emphasized that federal or insurance funding had not covered long‑term recovery costs after disasters, making GIA funding important to preserve local services.

Direct quotes from testifiers

• Branch Lotzpeech, Rescue Tube Foundation: “Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 15 in Hawaii.” • Tim Bostock (Saint James Church, Waimea): “Yesterday, we served 718 meals.” • Steve Sparks, Puna Community Medical Center Foundation: “For residents in Southern Puna, that means it’s an hour and 45 minute drive to Hilo Medical Center.”

What the committee will decide next

Testimony from this hearing becomes part of the committee record. Committee staff and lawmakers will weigh these requests when preparing budget recommendations and capital project lists in the coming weeks. No formal votes on individual grants were taken during the public‑testimony portion of the hearing.

Background and context

The hearing included in‑person and Zoom testimony from organizations representing every island. Speakers included nonprofit executives, health‑care leaders, educators and community volunteers. Many described how prior state support helped maintain programs and asked for continued or expanded GIA funding in FY26.

Ending

Committee deliberations and the Legislature’s budget decisions will determine which requests receive state funding. For now, the hearing made clear that lawmakers face competing priorities across public safety, disaster recovery, human services, education and economic resilience.