STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1139-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2906

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2906, S.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, as received by your Committee, is to help make higher education more accessible to students by appropriating funds to the University of Hawaii for student-employee wages at new or expanded worksites at each campus of the University.

     Prior to the public hearing, a Proposed House Draft 1 was circulated and made available to the public for the purpose of receiving testimony.  The Proposed House Draft 1 retains the provisions of the measure as received by your Committee and adds new provisions to:

     (1)  Promote greater fiscal accountability by the University of Hawaii by repealing the Board of Regents' independent authority over construction, operations, maintenance, and financing for University facilities, including its authority to issue revenue bonds;

     (2)  Ensure increased fiscal transparency for the University of Hawaii by subjecting the University to the same budget and operational oversight by the Department of Budget and Finance and the Legislature applicable to other state agencies; and

     (3)  Increase legislative oversight of the University's disposition of public land by requiring legislative approval for conveyance of fee-simple interests in land acquired for the University of Hawaii at West Oahu campus.

The University of Hawaii Student Caucus and numerous concerned individuals supported the bill.  The University of Hawaii provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended the bill by:

     (1)  Adopting the Proposed House Draft 1;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2525, to facilitate further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     Your Committee recognizes that fiscal determinations are within the purview of your Committee on Finance.  Therefore, your Committee respectfully requests that, if your Committee on Finance chooses to advance this bill, an appropriation of $100,000 be inserted to fund students employed at new or expanded worksites at each University of Hawaii campus.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2906, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2906, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ISAAC W. CHOY, Chair