STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1317-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 3286

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 3286, S.D. 1, 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 require the University of Hawaii to develop and maintain a comprehensive, systemwide facilities and student housing master plan to support the University's academic, research, and workforce development missions while also being responsive to changes to demographic, enrollment, and labor market trends.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is experiencing significant demographic change, including declining numbers of traditional college-age students, increasing numbers of adult and returning learners, and evolving workforce demands in critical fields such as health care, education, energy, and technology. Your Committee further finds that these trends are placing new and uneven demands on instructional space, laboratories, clinical training facilities, research infrastructure, and student housing. Accordingly, your Committee believes that this measure will align facilities and student housing planning with enrollment projections, workforce priorities, and capital planning processes.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the frequency of updates to the master plan from every five years to every six years;

(2) Specifying that the University of Hawaii shall submit an initial report to the Legislature before the 2028 Regular Session;

(3) Inserting an appropriation for an unspecified amount for the University of Hawaii to hire consultants and to make improvements to information systems; and

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

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 S.B. No. 3286, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3286, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ANDREW TAKUYA GARRETT, Chair