STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2676

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 539
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No.
539, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE X,
     SECTION 6, OF THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION, TO PROVIDE THE
     UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII WITH AUTONOMY IN ALL MATTERS RELATED TO
     THE UNIVERSITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to propose a Constitutional
amendment to provide the University of Hawaii with autonomy.

     Your Committee finds that the proposed amendment is part of
a logical progression of actions taken by the Legislature to
provide the University of Hawaii with the independence needed to
meet its goals of academic excellence, research to benefit the
community, and economic development.  Your Committee further
finds that the amendment is not intended to abrogate the ethical
obligations of University of Hawaii employees under Article XIV
of the State Constitution.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the
University of Hawaii, the University of Hawaii Professional
Assembly, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the Hawaii Business
Roundtable, a consulting engineering firm, the Hawaii Agriculture
Research Center, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and one individual.
Testimony commenting on the measure was submitted by the Office
of Elections.  Testimony expressing concerns about the measure
was submitted by the Department of Budget and Finance, the Hawaii

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2676
                                   Page 2


State Ethics Commission, and the Hawaii Government Employees
Association.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
539, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary,



                                   ______________________________
                                   AVERY B. CHUMBLEY, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   MATTHEW M. MATSUNAGA, Co-Chair

 
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