STAND. COM. REP. NO. 830

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 838

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Higher Education and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 838 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the University of Hawaii Vice President for Community Colleges to report directly to the Board of Regents.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System and two individuals.

Your Committees find that the University of Hawaii provides essential postsecondary education and workforce development programs to Hawaii residents. To increase access to these educational and career advancement opportunities, the University of Hawaii has community colleges located across the State, with at least one campus in each county. Despite the vital role the community colleges play in increasing the University's reach, they lack administrative representation within the University. This measure will provide the community colleges with a voice at the administrative level to promote and support access to education across the State.

Your Committees further find that the Hawaii Community College Promise Program, which funds qualified community college students' direct education costs, is essential to the University of Hawaii's efforts to increase access to education. In addition to funding for the Hawaii Community College Promise Program, the community colleges have identified the establishment of additional Security Officer positions as a critical need. Amendments to this measure are therefore necessary to support access to education and student safety at the University of Hawaii Community Colleges.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation of $3,700,000 for the continuation of the Hawaii Community College Promise Program;

(2) Inserting an appropriation of $693,780 for fiscal year 2023-2024 and $1,456,938 for fiscal year 2024-2025 to establish thirty-one full-time equivalent (31.0 FTE) Security Officer positions for the University of Hawaii Community Colleges;

(3) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

(4) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 838, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 838, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair