STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3646
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.R. No. 208
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2022
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 208 entitled:
"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO INVESTIGATE AND ADDRESS THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF A NURSING PROGRAM AT HONOLULU COMMUNITY COLLEGE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the University of Hawaii to:
(1) Investigate and address the feasibility and accessibility of a nursing program at Honolulu Community College; and
(2) Submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023.
Prior to the hearing on this measure, your Committee posted and made available for public review a proposed S.D. 1, which amends this measure by:
(1) Inserting findings regarding current workforce needs, including shortages of workers in agriculture and health care-related fields; faculty shortages, decreased funding, and limited educational opportunities; and the State's responsibility to offer interdisciplinary and supplemental educational and learning opportunities to support regional economic needs and local industries;
(2) Inserting findings on college and career readiness workforce development training programs supported by Hawaii P-20, including history of the P-20 Partnership, programs supported by P-20 Partnership, and potential partners to further educational and workforce career readiness programs; and
(3) Inserting findings on recent leadership issues at the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, including decreased funding and opportunities for the Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology program, de-emphasis of hands-on learning, failure to review probationary faculty positions in a holistic manner for College faculty, and allegations against the Dean of the College relating to a lack of leadership; and
(4) Requesting the Auditor to:
(A) Conduct a performance audit of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, including an assessment of the College's leadership and administration;
(B) Conduct a performance audit of all state college and career readiness workforce development training programs, including a discussion of each program's offered services, performance metrics, and recent outcomes, efforts to coordinate with other state workforce development programs, and overall alignment with statewide plans; and
(C) Submit a report of each performance audit, including the Auditor's findings and recommendations, and any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023;
(5) Adding the Auditor, Comptroller, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, Chairperson of the Workforce Development Council, Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Executive Director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, and State Director of United Public Workers to the list of recipients of certified copies;
(6) Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose; and
(7) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.
Your Committee received comments on the proposed S.D. 1 from the University of Hawai‘i System.
Your Committee finds that if Hawaii is to meet regional workforce demands and the needs of regional industries, developing an educated, well-trained workforce is paramount to Hawaii's economic success. Currently, the State is experiencing a shortage of workers across all sectors, including agriculture and health care-related fields, as faculty shortages, decreased funding, and limited educational opportunities inhibit the education and training of the next generation of Hawaii's workforce. Additionally, the lack of training programs in fields such as health care, including nursing and allied health, career readiness and workforce development training, and practicum and internship opportunities within agricultural fields such as molecular biosciences and biotechnology, limit the State's potential to diversify, develop, and expand its current workforce. This measure seeks to examine the State's career readiness workforce development to ensure Hawaii's people have access to needed programs for professional development and success.
Your Committee has amended
this measure by adopting the proposed S.D. 1 and further amending the measure
by:
(1) Requesting various state government entities to take certain actions to effectively leverage educational resources in the State to ensure career readiness workforce development;
(2) Requesting the University of Hawaii to:
(A) Examine the feasibility of offering a nursing program, allied health program, or both at Honolulu Community College, or in coordination with the other University of Hawaii Community Colleges, to meet regional workforce needs;
(B) Identify University of Hawaii workforce development training programs, including P-20, that prepare residents for employment in Hawaii; actions to improve alignment of programs with state and county workforce development and University of Hawaii strategic plans; and key performance metrics for University of Hawaii's workforce development training programs, including but not limited to alignment to statewide energy and food security goals pursuant to section 269-92, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and Act 151, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, regional economic opportunities as described in the Hawaii Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy; facilities; and coordination to existing workforce development training programs both within the University of Hawaii System and across the State; and
(C) Submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023;
(3) Requesting the Legislative Reference Bureau, instead of the Auditor, to:
(A) Identify cooperative extension agencies similar to the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources across the nation; and
(B) Submit a report evaluating the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and its leadership, including the Legislative Reference Bureau's comparative analysis of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to similar cooperative extension agencies across the nation, and recommendations to better align the mission of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources with statewide food security goals pursuant to Act 151, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023;
(4) Removing the Auditor from the list of recipients of certified copies;
(5) Adding the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau to the list of recipients of certified copies; and
(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 208, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 208, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,
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________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair |
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