REPORT TITLE:
Degree Granting Institutions


DESCRIPTION:
Prohibits unaccredited institutions from issuing degrees unless
they comply with certain standards.  (HB252 HD2)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        252
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 2        
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                         
                                                        
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTIONS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Chapter 446E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended by adding three new sections to be appropriately
 
 3 designated and to read as follows:
 
 4      "§446E-    Advisory board.  The state post-secondary
 
 5 education commission, as established by chapter 305H, shall serve
 
 6 as a resource to the director as needed regarding the
 
 7 requirements of this chapter.
 
 8      §446E-    Exceptions.  This chapter shall not apply to the
 
 9 types of schools and courses of instruction that include:
 
10      (1)  Schools and educational programs conducted by firms,
 
11           corporations, or persons for the training of their own
 
12           employees;
 
13      (2)  Apprentice or other training programs provided by labor
 
14           unions to union members or union applicants for
 
15           membership;
 
16      (3)  Courses of instruction that do not lead to the
 
17           conferring of a degree;
 
18      (4)  Seminars, refresher courses, and programs of
 
19           instruction sponsored by professional, business, or
 
20           farming organizations or associations for their members
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1           or employees of their members;
 
 2      (5)  Courses of instruction conducted by a public school
 
 3           district or a combination of public school districts;
 
 4      (6)  Colleges and universities that grant degrees pursuant
 
 5           to chapters 304 and 305;
 
 6      (7)  Entities that are established under the jurisdiction of
 
 7           the board of regents of the University of Hawaii;
 
 8      (8)  Schools, courses of instruction, or courses of training
 
 9           that are offered by a vendor to the purchaser or
 
10           prospective purchaser of the vendor's product when the
 
11           objective of the school or course is to enable the
 
12           purchaser or the purchaser's employees to gain skills
 
13           and knowledge which enable the purchaser to use the
 
14           product;
 
15      (9)  Schools and educational programs conducted by religious
 
16           organizations solely for the religious instruction of
 
17           their members;
 
18     (10)  Nondegree granting post-secondary educational
 
19           institutions licensed by the department of education or
 
20           the real estate commission; and
 
21     (11)  Schools that are accredited by an agency or
 
22           organization approved or recognized by the United
 
23           States Department of Education or a successor agency,
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1           except as provided for in section 446E-5(b).
 
 2     §446E-    Powers and duties of the director.  The director
 
 3 may adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91 to carry out the
 
 4 functions, powers, and duties set forth in this chapter."
 
 5     SECTION 2.  Section 446E-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 6 amended to read as follows:
 
 7     "[[]§446E-1[]]  Definitions.  As used in this chapter:
 
 8     "Degree" means a post-secondary credential, earned or
 
 9 honorary, conferring on the recipient the title or designation of
 
10 "associate", "bachelor", "baccalaureate", "master", "doctor", or
 
11 "doctorate", or any designation, mark, appellation, series of
 
12 letters or words, or other symbol which signifies, purports, or
 
13 is generally taken to signify satisfactory completion of the
 
14 requirements of an academic or professional program of study
 
15 beyond the secondary school level.
 
16     "Degree granting institution" means a school, academy,
 
17 institute, junior college, college, university, [or person or
 
18 entity of whatever kind which furnishes or offers to furnish
 
19 instruction leading toward or prerequisite to an academic or
 
20 professional degree beyond the secondary school level.] agency,
 
21 individual, partnership, company, firm, society, trust,
 
22 association, corporation, or any combination thereof that meets
 
23 the following criteria:
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1     (1)   Provides a post-secondary instructional program or
 
 2           course leading to a degree;
 
 3     (2)   Uses in its name the term "college", "academy",
 
 4           "institute", "institution", or "university" or a
 
 5           similar term which implies that the organization or
 
 6           person is primarily engaged in the education of
 
 7           students at the post-secondary level; and
 
 8     (3)   Charges a fee for its services.
 
 9     "Director" means the director of commerce and consumer
 
10 affairs.
 
11     "Employee" means a person who is hired on an hourly or
 
12 salaried basis for twenty or more hours per week.
 
13     "Presence" means offering courses, programs, or degrees or
 
14 maintaining a campus, or an administrative, corporate, or other
 
15 address in this State.
 
16     "Student" means a person who enrolls in or seeks to enroll in
 
17 a course of instruction offered or conducted by an unaccredited
 
18 institution.
 
19     "Unaccredited institution" means a degree granting
 
20 institution [which has not been] that is not accredited or
 
21 [provisionally accredited] a candidate for accreditation by at
 
22 least one nationally recognized accrediting agency [or
 
23 association which] that is listed by the United States Secretary
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1 of Education."
 
 2     SECTION 3.  Section 446E-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 3 amended to read as follows:
 
 4     "446E-2  Disclosures.(a)  Any unaccredited institution
 
 5 shall disclose in all catalogs, promotional materials, and
 
 6 [written] contracts for instruction, the fact that the
 
 7 institution is not [fully] accredited by any nationally
 
 8 recognized accrediting agency [or association] listed by the
 
 9 United States Secretary of Education.  [The unaccredited
 
10 institution shall disclose whether it is a provisionally
 
11 accredited, or is a candidate for accreditation.  The accrediting
 
12 agency or association shall be identified.]  The disclosure shall
 
13 be made in [boldface print and] a type size as large or larger
 
14 than any other text in the catalog, promotional material, or
 
15 contract for instruction, excluding the name of the unaccredited
 
16 institution, and shall be presented in a manner reasonably
 
17 calculated to draw the attention of the reader [and].  In the
 
18 event the unaccredited institution includes in its catalogs,
 
19 promotional materials, or contracts for instruction any other
 
20 information relating in any manner to accreditation, or to
 
21 accreditation by an agency not nationally recognized by the
 
22 United States Secretary of Education, the disclosure required by
 
23 this subsection shall be repeated on every page the information
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1 appears, or, where the information is presented electronically,
 
 2 directly preceding or following any such information.  The
 
 3 disclosure shall read [substantially] as follows:
 
 4      (Name of Degree Granting Institution) IS NOT ACCREDITED
 
 5            BY [A RECOGNIZED] AN ACCREDITING AGENCY [OR
 
 6           ASSOCIATION] RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES
 
 7                      SECRETARY OF EDUCATION.
 
 8     Note:  In the United States, many licensing authorities
 
 9     require accredited degrees as the basis for eligibility for
 
10     licensing.  In some cases, accredited colleges may not accept
 
11     for transfer, courses and degrees completed at unaccredited
 
12     colleges, and some employers may require an accredited degree
 
13     as a basis for eligibility for employment.
 
14      (b)  Every unaccredited institution subject to this chapter
 
15 shall[, in accordance with the rules prescribed by the
 
16 department,] keep true and accurate records of student
 
17 enrollment, courses, fees, and matriculation rates.  These
 
18 records shall be retained for five years.  Upon demand, these
 
19 records, and any other information requested or subpoenaed by the
 
20 director, shall be made available to the [department for
 
21 inspection.  Such records shall be retained for a period of five
 
22 years.] director."
 
23      SECTION 4.  Section 446E-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1 amended to read as follows:
 
 2      "[[]§446E-3[]]  Sanction.  [Failure by any unaccredited
 
 3 institution to make the disclosure required by this section shall
 
 4 constitute an unfair or deceptive act or practice under section
 
 5 480-2.] Any person who violates this chapter shall be deemed to
 
 6 have engaged in an unfair or deceptive act or practice pursuant
 
 7 to section 480-2."
 
 8      SECTION 5.  Section 446E-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 9 amended to read as follows:
 
10      "[[]§446E-4[]  Registration.]  Service of process.  (a)  Any
 
11 unaccredited institution with a presence in the State shall
 
12 [register with the department of commerce and consumer affairs in
 
13 a manner established by rules adopted pursuant to chapter 91.
 
14 The department may request, as part of the registration process,
 
15 copies of any contracts, brochures, catalogues, or similar
 
16 materials which are distributed to prospective students.]
 
17 designate and continuously maintain an agent in this State
 
18 authorized to accept service of process on behalf of the
 
19 institution and shall deliver to the director the name, address,
 
20 and telephone number of the agent so designated in a manner
 
21 prescribed by the director.  The designated agent shall be an
 
22 agent of the unaccredited institution for service of any process,
 
23 notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served upon
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1 the unaccredited institution.
 
 2      (b)  If an unaccredited institution fails to appoint or
 
 3 maintain an agent for service of process in this State or the
 
 4 agent for service of process cannot with reasonable diligence be
 
 5 found at the agent's address, service of process may be made upon
 
 6 the unaccredited institution by registered or certified mail,
 
 7 return receipt requested, addressed to the unaccredited
 
 8 institution at the most recent address listed in the records of
 
 9 the director.
 
10      (c)  Service by registered or certified mail is effected
 
11 under subsection (b) at the earliest of:
 
12      (1)  The date the unaccredited institution receives the
 
13           process, notice, or demand;
 
14      (2)  The date shown on the return receipt, if signed on
 
15           behalf of the unaccredited institution; or
 
16      (3)  Five days after its deposit in the mail, if mailed
 
17           postpaid and correctly addressed.
 
18      (d)  This section shall not affect the right to serve
 
19 process, notice, or demand in any other manner provided by law."
 
20      SECTION 6.  Section 446E-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
21 amended to read as follows:
 
22      "[[]§446E-5[]]  Prohibited practices.  (a)  No unaccredited
 
23 institution shall [refer to registration under this chapter,
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1 compliance with the requirements of this chapter, or to any
 
 2 agency or employee of the State in a manner which suggests]
 
 3 indicate or suggest that the State licenses, approves, or
 
 4 regulates its operations.  Acceptance by the director of any
 
 5 documents from an unaccredited institution shall not be construed
 
 6 as evidence that the director has determined the adequacy of any
 
 7 filing.
 
 8      (b)  Any institution that is not accredited by the American
 
 9 Bar Association shall not issue a juris doctor degree (J.D.), a
 
10 master of laws degree (LL.M.), or any equivalent or comparable
 
11 degree.
 
12      (c)  Any institution that is not accredited by the Liaison
 
13 Committee on Medical Education shall not issue a doctor of
 
14 medicine degree (M.D.), or any equivalent or comparable degree.
 
15      (d)  No unaccredited institution shall issue degrees unless
 
16 the institution has an office, at least one employee, and at
 
17 least twenty-five enrolled students in Hawaii in each academic
 
18 year of its operation for the purpose of performing course
 
19 requirements that are part of the students' educational
 
20 curriculum.
 
21      (e)  No unaccredited institution that operates in or from
 
22 the State or has a presence in this State shall accept or receive
 
23 any tuition payment or other fee from or on behalf of a student
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        


 1 unless the institution complies with all of the requirements of
 
 2 this chapter.
 
 3      (f)  No unaccredited institution shall disclose in any
 
 4 catalog, promotional material or written contract for instruction
 
 5 that it has applied for future accreditation." 
 
 6      SECTION 7.  Notwithstanding section 445E-5(d), Hawaii
 
 7 Revised Statutes, each unaccredited institution with an office
 
 8 and at least one employee on the effective date of this Act may
 
 9 issue degrees for a period of no more than five consecutive years
 
10 from the effective date of this Act.  Thereafter, the
 
11 unaccredited institution shall be subject to section 446E-5(d),
 
12 Hawaii Revised Statutes.
 
13      SECTION 8.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
14 New statutory material is underscored.
 
15      SECTION 9.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.