STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1205

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 150

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Higher Education and Agriculture, to which was referred S.R. No. 150 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO TO CONDUCT AN OUTREACH PROGRAM, PERFORM A NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AND ESTABLISH A HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNING CENTER IN THE DISTRICT OF PUNA ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the University of Hawaii at Hilo to conduct an outreach program, perform a needs assessment, and establish a higher education learning center in the district of Puna on the island of Hawaii.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Malama O Puna, and six individuals.

     Your Committees find that the district of Puna on the island of Hawaii is a prime location for establishing a higher education learning center that can identify educational and training needs in the district, design a business incubator approach to support job growth in the area, and focus on outreach to increase agriculture production and processed products for local markets utilizing emerging engineering programs.  If successful, the higher education learning center in Puna can serve as a model for other rural areas in the State.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 150 and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and Agriculture,

____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair