STAND. COM. REP. NO.  188

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 902

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 902 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide funding for additional positions for the University of Hawaii Pamantasan Council to help the State and the University meet strategic goals for access and diversity relating to the Filipino community in general and educational concerns in particular.

The University of Hawaii Pamantasan Executive Council, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, Nursing Advocates & Mentors, Inc., Filipino American Citizens League, National Federation of Filipino American Associations Region 12, Sinait National High School Alumni Association of Hawaii, and numerous concerned individuals supported this bill.  The University of Hawaii supported the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by leaving the amount of the appropriations unspecified.

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure further, your Committee on Higher Education respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $600,000 for each year of fiscal biennium 2017-2019 to fund six full-time equivalent positions for the system-wide Pamantasan Council.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 902, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 902, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair