STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3094

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1703

       H.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 1703, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii at Manoa to hire psychologists and case managers to improve student mental health treatment and services.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Graduate Student Organization, Associated Students of the University of Hawai‘i, University of Hawai‘i Student Caucus, NuWayve Unlimited, and five individuals.

     Your Committee finds that university students often face complex challenges in their personal and academic lives, resulting in increased anxiety, stress, and destructive and harmful thoughts.  This measure will help alleviate the current heavy workload of therapists at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and increase the University's ability to reach out to more students through proactive educational efforts.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1703, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair