STAND. COM. REP. NO. 789

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1413

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1413, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii to allow students to qualify for resident tuition fees for any semester beginning within two years of that student's graduation from a high school in Hawaii.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii, University of Hawaii Board of Regents, and Department of Education.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that some University of Hawaii students experience nontraditional family arrangements or are unaware of their parents' or caregivers' tax filings. This may create difficulties for those students to satisfy the University of Hawaii's qualifications for resident tuition fee. This measure will make college more accessible by helping to streamline the process for Hawaii high school graduates to qualify for the lower tuition fee.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that students who previously qualified for resident tuition fee under the expanded requirements may continue to be qualified for resident tuition fee throughout their undergraduate degree program for periods following a date two years after high school graduation; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1413, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1413, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair