HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2026

 

COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Rep. Andrew Takuya Garrett, Chair

Rep. Terez Amato, Vice Chair

 

Rep. Luke A. Evslin

Rep. Ikaika Olds

Rep. Jeanne Kapela

Rep. Justin H. Woodson

Rep. Darius K. Kila

Rep. Christopher L. Muraoka

Rep. Trish La Chica

Rep. Kanani Souza

 

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

DATE:

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

TIME:

2:00p.m.

PLACE:

VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE

Conference Room 309

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

 

 

 

Click here to submit testimony and to testify remotely or in person.

 

A live stream link of all House Standing Committee meetings will be available online

shortly before the scheduled start time.

 

Click here for the live stream of this meeting via YouTube.

 

 

 

A G E N D A

 

HB 1596

Status

 

RELATING TO STUDENT BASIC NEEDS SUPPORT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

Establishes a Basic Needs Pilot Program at a single campus of the University of Hawaii system.  Authorizes the establishment of a Housing Stability Pilot Project at that campus.  Appropriates funds.

 

HED, HSH, FIN

HB 1597

Status

 

RELATING TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS RESEARCH.

Establishes and appropriates funds for an Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Research Center at the University of Hawaii, including the establishment of two full-time positions.

 

HED, HLT, FIN

HB 1970

Status

 

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII CANCER CENTER.

Appropriates funds for the University of Hawaii Cancer Center Hawaii Tumor Registry.

 

HED, FIN

HB 1598

Status

RELATING TO THE HAWAII CLIMATE INSTITUTE.

Establishes the Hawaii Climate Institute at the University of Hawaii to support climate resilience and adaptation initiatives of the University and the State.  Requires six per cent of the revenue generated by any increase to the Transient Accommodations Tax rates beginning on January 1, 2026, and by assessment of the Transient Accommodations Tax on gross rental proceeds derived from cruise fares to be allocated to the University of Hawaii annually to support the programs and operations of the Hawaii Climate Institute.  Transfers the International Pacific Research Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology to the Hawaii Climate Institute.  Appropriates funds.

 

HED, EEP, FIN

HB 1989

Status

RELATING TO WATER RETENTION.

Directs the University of Hawaiʻi School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology to conduct a study that identifies, analyzes, and evaluates possible methods to capture, retain, and store rainwater and storm water runoff for counties with a population of more than five hundred thousand.  Requires an annual report to the Legislature.  Appropriates funds.

 

HED, FIN

HB 1951

Status

RELATING TO BIOSECURITY.

Requires the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience to establish a Center for Biosecurity Research, Education, and Extension to develop and implement innovative solutions for detecting, monitoring, eradicating, and managing invasive species.  Appropriates funds.

 

HED, AGR, FIN

HB 1952

Status

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Authorizes the issuance of GO bonds and appropriates funds for capital improvements for the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience's Agricultural Research and Extension Station on Kauai.

 

HED, AGR, FIN

HB 2005

Status

RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS.

Establishes a statewide language access education and workforce development program at the University of Hawaii.  Appropriates funds.

 

HED, LAB, FIN

HB 1790

Status

RELATING TO POLICING.

Requires law enforcement agencies and police oversight agencies to collect and report certain data regarding law enforcement stops, uses of force, and complaints to the Hawaii Crime Lab affiliated with the University of Hawaii.  Requires the Hawaii Crime Lab to collect and publish incident-level information and an annual report on the data collected.  Requires the Department of the Attorney General to adopt rules, in coordination with the Hawaii Crime Lab.

 

HED, JHA, FIN

HB 1873

Status

RELATING TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

Requires members of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii to attend a governance training within twelve months of appointment and every two years thereafter.  Exempts strategic planning retreats of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii from open meeting requirements if certain conditions are met.  Requires the Candidate Advisory Council to ensure that all candidates presented to the Governor for nomination have certain subject matter experience and are not registered lobbyists who have lobbied on matters pertaining to the University of Hawaii.  Requires the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, in collaboration with the Candidate Advisory Council, to submit annual reports to the Legislature.

 

HED, JHA

 

 

 

 

DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW

 

Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.  Testimony received after this time will be stamped late and left to the discretion of the chair to consider.  While every effort will be made to incorporate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed, may not be processed.

 

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The chair may institute a per-testifier time limit.

 

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FOR AMENDED NOTICES:  Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are bolded.

 

For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk at (808) 586-8476.

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________________

Rep. Andrew Takuya Garrett

Chair