STAND. COM. REP. 542

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 1335

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1335, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TUITION WAIVERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committee, is to provide tuition waivers for all Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian students who provide proof of need of financial assistance and who meet all standards and qualifications for entry into the University of Hawaii (UH) System.

UH supported the intent of the bill and offered comments as well as information to correct certain student statistics in the findings section of this measure. Supporting testimony was received from the Department of Education, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Associated Students of UH at Manoa, a UH Regent Emeritus, Kua'ana Native Hawaiian Student Development Services, Ka Lahui Hawaii's Political Action Committee, Hui Ho'oulu's Political Action Committee, Native Hawaiian Leadership Project, UH Student Caucus, and testimony from numerous students.

Your Committee takes issue that the 16,000 acres of ceded lands under UH control was previously classified as sovereign. Accordingly, your Committee believes that the State has an obligation for ceded lands revenue payment to OHA. In extrapolating this acreage to land rent and OHA's proportional share, your Committee has determined approximate value toward tuition waivers.

With the concurrence of the Higher Education Committee Chair, this bill has been amended by:

(1) Replacing references to "Hawaiian" and "part-Hawaiian" with "native Hawaiian" and "Hawaiian" in section 2;

(2) Requiring a 50 percent tuition waiver for all native Hawaiian and Hawaiian students;

(3) Requiring an additional 50 to 100 percent waiver of remaining tuition fees for native Hawaiian and Hawaiian students who demonstrate financial need;

(4) Specifying that tuition waiver eligibility shall be dependent on meeting admissions requirements and on maintaining satisfactory grade levels;

(5) Changing the effective date of this bill from July 1, 2050, to July 1, 2004. The new effective date considers possible settlement of the entire ceded lands payment issue during the 2004 session; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments to conform to standard drafting conventions.

Finally, your Committee believes that student contribution will provide a greater sense of value for the waiver.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1335, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1335, H.D. 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land Use, and Hawaiian Affairs,

 

____________________________

EZRA R. KANOHO, Chair