STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1234

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1528

       H.D. 2

       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 H.B. No. 1528, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage Hawaii residents to pursue post-secondary education through the provision of continuing funding for the B Plus Scholarship Program.

     This measure also establishes additional scholarship eligibility criteria for the B Plus Scholarship Program.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the University of Hawaii, and GEAR UP Hawaii.  Comments on the measure were also submitted by the Governor's Policy Office.

     Your Committee finds that the Legislature established and appropriated funds for the B Plus Scholarship Program, pursuant to Act 57, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005.  The purpose of the B Plus Scholarship Program is to promote higher learning among low-income populations through the provision of scholarships to eligible students.  Subsequently, in 2006, the Legislature amended Act 57 to provide additional funding for the program and to clarify financial eligibility guidelines.  Your Committee determines that the B Plus Scholarship Program has enjoyed great success, with the number of scholarships awarded continuing to increase.  This measure provides the necessary funding to allow the program to continue, scholarships to be renewed, and new scholarships to be granted.

     Your Committee further finds that the new world and local economies require a dedicated effort by the State to support innovation and technology and growing a qualified workforce to support these areas.  Competition in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics has escalated throughout the world, and Hawaii needs to invest in the education and training of our students to ensure that they will succeed in the workforce.  Resources must also be focused on other areas of workforce development where a need is identified and addressed by the University of Hawaii campuses.  Thus, in order to continue to provide an attractive incentive to eligible high school students and build a qualified workforce in Hawaii, your Committee believes the eligibility criteria should be further refined and complemented.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring students enrolling or pursuing careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines to be given higher priority for up to ten per cent of the total scholarships awarded;

     (2)  Requiring priority to also be afforded to students who satisfy specific criteria established by a University of Hawaii campus for which priority of awards has been designated; 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 H.B. No. 1528, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1528, H.D. 2, 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