SB2586.DOC

SECTION 1. The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"Chapter

DOVE program

§ -1 Short title of chapter. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the developing opportunities in veterans' education program ("dove").

§ -2 Definitions. As in this chapter the following words and phrases have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Active military service" means active service in any of the armed services or forces of the United States or of the State.

"Advisory council" means the statewide dove advisory council established under section -5.

"Community college" means an institution established and operated under section 304A-1101.

"Dove" means the developing opportunities in veterans' education program.

"Private education institution" means an institution within the State that is legally authorized to grant degrees or career and technical certifications but that is not statutorily established as an instrumentality of the State or a state-related institution or community college.

"State higher education public institution" means a state system institution, a state-related institution, or a community college located within the State.

"State-related institution" means a non-profit institution that:

(1) Is legally authorized to grant degrees;

(2) Offers needed, specified higher education services in the public interest of the State;

(3) Is statutorily established as an instrumentality of the State; and

(4) Receives a direct annual state appropriation.

"State system institution" means a University of Hawaii system university or community college governed under chapter 304A.

"Student veteran" means any person who is attending or planning to attend a state higher education public institution or private education institution and is serving in the United States armed forces, including a reserve component or national guard, or served in the United States armed forces, and who was discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable.

§ -3 Student veterans program. Each campus of a state higher education public institution with an annual combined enrollment of at least one hundred full-time or part-time student veterans shall provide the services and create a position of coordinator as described in section -4 to assist student veterans in transitioning from combat-to-college and thereby create a positive educational environment under which student veterans may successfully graduate from universities and vocational degree programs in recognition of the skills, training, and experience associated with military training.

§ -4 Requirements. Each state higher education public institution shall do the following:

(1) For a campus that is not solely online and has a combined annual enrollment of at least one hundred full-time or part-time student veterans, provide a centralized geographic location on campus for student veterans for admissions, class registration, and financial aid administration and create the position of coordinator under subsection (b) to the extent that funds are available;

(2) Provide outreach, information, and advocacy assistance to student veterans to help ensure that they receive reasonable accommodations for any disability, pursuant to the laws of the State and of the United States;

(3) Develop programs to provide academic and career counseling specifically for student veterans that shall include peer mentoring and peer support programs;

(4) Develop programs to provide reasonable access to specialized mental health counseling services or resources for student veterans;

(5) Develop job search assistance programs designed for student veterans during their enrollment and for a period of at least two years following their graduation;

(6) Not charge an admissions or similar fee for student veterans returning to the same educational institution that they attended prior to mobilization;

(7) Provide specific information on programs developed or coordinated pursuant to this chapter, and other information relevant to veterans, on the institution's website;

(8) Provide post-secondary credit to student veterans for military training while serving in the armed forces or national guard if the American Council on Education recommends that post-secondary credit should be provided for military training or provide preadmission counseling to provide prospective student veterans with detailed analyses of which post-secondary credits will be accepted based upon the student veterans' military training;

(9) Provide student veterans an alternative status that reflects mobilization rather than a "W" or withdrawn status on the student veteran's transcripts at the student veteran's request if the student veteran is called to active military service and is no longer able to attend class or complete course work as a direct result of the call; and

(10) Provide for community-based collaborations to allow the private sector to support dove programs through financial and in-kind gifts.

(b) Each state higher education public institution with an annual combined enrollment of one hundred or more full-time or part-time student veterans shall designate a coordinator for each campus who shall do as follows:

(1) Develop programs to promote a positive educational environment for student veterans;

(2) Implement staff training programs that relate to identifying and assisting student veterans who may benefit from the specialized services and resources developed or coordinated pursuant to this chapter;

(3) Make recommendations to the institution's administration and the advisory committee concerning ways to improve the education of student veterans;

(4) Coordinate access to stress management, counseling programs, and other available resources;

(5) Coordinate with the office of veterans' services established under section 363-2 to educate student veterans about available state programs;

(6) Coordinate with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to educate student veterans about available federal benefits, including any work-study programs offered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs;

(7) Coordinate activities, seminars, and programs for student veterans presented by veteran's organizations;

(8) Coordinate campus activities and social events designed for student veterans; and

(9) Coordinate programs to assist student veterans in locating employment and internships.

§ -5 Statewide dove advisory council. (a) A statewide dove advisory council is established that shall consist of the following nine members who shall each serve two-year terms unless serving in an ex-officio capacity:

(1) One member appointed by the governor from the office of veterans' services established under section 363-2;

(2) Two members appointed by the president of the University of Hawaii to represent the universities and community colleges;

(3) The adjutant general or a designee;

(4) Three members appointed by the governor who are student veterans or former student veteran representatives; and

(5) Two members at-large appointed by the governor.

(b) Any vacancy on the advisory council shall be filled by the original appointing officer.

(1) Assess, refine, and recommend improvements for outreach services to provide veterans with necessary information regarding post-secondary opportunities and develop best practices to help them graduate from Hawaii's post-secondary education institutions;

(2) Review and approve annual applications from state higher public education institutions to receive the "serving our veterans certified" title for demonstrating compliance with section -4;

(3) Review and approve annual applications from private education institutions to receive the "serving our veterans certified" title for voluntary compliance with section -4;

(4) Promote partnerships with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that help reduce out-of-pocket expenses to student veterans;

(5) Assess gaps in student support and policy that may exist at the federal level, including the GI Bill and the Pell Grant program, and recommend changes in the federal and state higher education financial assistance programs to promote unfettered access to post-secondary education opportunities;

(6) Provide ways to easily report accurate data on the use and results of the programs authorized by this chapter;

(7) Promote partnerships to provide financial resources to help enable state higher education public institutions and private education institutions meet the standards authorized in this chapter;

(8) Receive comments and testimony from student veterans and others; and

(9) Annually report to the legislature on the use and results of the programs described in this chapter.

§ -6 Private education institutions. A private education institution shall be awarded an annual "serving our veterans certified" status by the advisory council if the private education institution voluntarily complies with state standards for student veterans programs as described in section -4.

§ -7 Reporting provisions. Not later than October 1, 2015, each state higher education public institution and every private education institution that is certified as "serving our veterans" shall annually report to the office of veterans' services established under section 363-2 and to the advisory council on whether they offer the services described in section -4 and on the use and results of the services authorized under this chapter."

SECTION 2. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2014; provided that sections -3 and -4 shall take effect on July 1, 2015.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2586
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014
STATE OF HAWAII