Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Higher Education and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1398 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish two types of scholarships at the University of Hawaii:

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii Hawaiian Studies Program, University of Hawaii-Hilo, Department of Education (DOE), and University of Hawaii-West Oahu, and six individuals.

Your Committees find that the promotion of the study of Hawaiian language and the needs of students from non-native English backgrounds are essential to the State and that such promotion must be an integrated effort between lower and higher education.

Your Committees further find that the University of Hawaii needs to take bold action on behalf of promoting the Hawaiian language and the needs of students of non-native English background for the public schools.

Hawaiian is an official language of the State and the promotion of its study for all Hawaii public school students regardless of ethnicity is mandated by Article X, section 4 of the State Constitution. In addition, Article XII, section 7 reaffirms and protects traditional and customary rights relating to Hawaiian culture of which the language is a central component while Article IX, section 9 reaffirms the power of the State to preserve and develop the cultural arts of its various ethnic groups.

The DOE testified in support noting that section 4 of the bill highlights the non-discriminatory intent of the bill. The DOE further noted the positive benefits for Hawaii's children in the bill.

Your Committees note that, in his testimony, Dr. Kalena Silva of the University of Hawaii at Hilo stated that the dire effects of the major social and political events of 1893 that caused the extreme decline of the Hawaiian language and culture have not been fully addressed. Your Committees view scholarships for students studying Hawaiian as a way to promote the study of the Hawaiian language for all Hawaii's people in accordance with the constitutional mandate. Your Committees find that this measure is strengthened by its additional focus on service to the public schools by those receiving scholarships and its inclusion of fluent speakers of languages other than Hawaiian in such service to the public schools.

Your Committees have amended this measure by adding scholarships for graduate programs, with the same criteria as the teacher education programs. Your Committees have also made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1398, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1398, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.