STAND. COM. REP. NO. 285

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1146

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1146 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish, at the University of Hawaii, scholarship programs in honor of Senator Hiram L. Fong and Senator Oren E. Long, and appropriate funds therefor.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the University of Hawaii, and the Hiram L. Fong Commission.

     Your Committee finds that Senator Hiram L. Fong was a champion of civil rights, labor rights, and immigration reform.  He was a respected legislator whose achievements are great in number and who espoused timeless philosophies.  Your Committee further finds that Senator Oren E. Long was also a distinguished leader who devoted over forty years of his life to public service and worked successfully in collaboration with Senator Fong on many initiatives, including the establishment of the East-West Center.  Based upon recommendations from the Hiram L. Fong Commission, established under Act 117, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, this measure establishes the Hiram L. Fong Scholarship Program and the Oren E. Long Scholarship Program at the University of Hawaii.  Your Committee believes that the establishment of these scholarships are a fitting tribute to these great leaders.

     Your Committee also finds that, based on the testimony provided, the University of Hawaii Foundation is unauthorized to receive funds appropriated from the general revenues of the State.  Instead, moneys must be deposited into an endowment trust from which the scholarship funds can be provided.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the language throughout the measure to specify that the scholarship programs shall be administered by the University of Hawaii with proceeds from endowment trusts that shall receive initial funding by appropriations out of the general revenues of the State;

     (2)  Removing the appropriation from the University of Hawaii Scholarship and Assistance Special Fund; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1146, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1146, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair