STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1263-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   S.B. No. 2971

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2971 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 repeal section 304A-1144, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), which requires the Office of the Vice President for the University of Hawaii Community Colleges to prepare an annual report relating to the Construction Academy.

     For the purposes of a public hearing on this bill, your Committee circulated a Proposed S.B. No. 2971, H.D. 1 (Proposed Draft), and notified the public that it would be accepting testimony on the proposal.  In addition to repealing section 304A-1144, HRS, the Proposed Draft extends to June 30, 2017, the authority of the University of Hawaii System to maintain a separate accounting and financial management system that is compatible with the State of Hawaii accounting and financial systems.

The University of Hawaii System and the Department of Accounting and General Services supported the Proposed Draft.

     Your Committee considered the merits of both S.B. No. 2971, as received by your Committee, and the Proposed Draft, and upon careful consideration, amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adopting the Proposed Draft; and

     (2)  Amending its effective date to July 1, 2525, to promote further discussion.

     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. 2971, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2971, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ISAAC W. CHOY, Chair