STAND. COM. REP. NO. 351-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2633

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 2633 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ACCESS TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to Leeward Community College Waianae Moku to support and assist students who are twenty-four years old or younger and ineligible to apply for federal financial assistance through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid application because they are unable to access their parents' tax information.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System; Leeward Community College Waiʻanae Moku; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that a significant number of students who are twenty-four years old or younger are ineligible for federal financial aid because they lack access to their parents' tax information because their parents are homeless or incarcerated or for other reasons. These students are then often forced to drop out of college and can end up with an outstanding balance on their student accounts, which prevents them from continuing their education or causes them to take out loans, which often wind up in the collections process. Furthermore, being in arrears regarding tuition poses a barrier to these students' eligibility for financial aid in the future.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that this measure is a matter of statewide concern; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2633, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2633, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair