STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1055

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1079

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AUTHORIZATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a framework for provisionally authorizing the operations of post-secondary degree-granting educational institutions that have applied for but have not yet received accreditation from an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that a candidate for accreditation that fails to obtain accreditation within the required timeframe or elects to stop pursuing accreditation may transition to a non-accredited status, subject to compliance with applicable rules, policies, and procedures;

     (2)  Placing a maximum ten-year time limit on provisional authorization of a candidate for accreditation;

     (3)  Repealing the requirement that a candidate for accreditation demonstrate satisfactory progress toward accreditation based on an on-site review by an accrediting agency as a condition of provisional authorization;

     (4)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2017; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair