STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1141

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 775

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Tourism and International Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 775, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to market Hawaii and Hawaii's higher education institutions to international students.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; University of Hawaii; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Study Hawaii Educational Consortium; Hawaii Pacific University; and five individuals.

     Your Committee finds that there is a growing trend in education of international study and educational travel.  Hawaii's unique history, optimal geographic placement between the United States and Asia, and globally ranked programs of higher education have all served as factors in establishing Hawaii in the forefront of choice destinations for international students.  Your Committee further finds that increased recruitment strategies and carefully structured future programs encouraging international students to attend school in Hawaii are necessary to keep Hawaii's reputation as a place of beauty and education.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism and International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 775, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 775, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism and International Affairs,

________________________________

GILBERT KAHELE, Chair