STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1248

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 848

      S.D. 2

      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 Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 848, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a high-functioning Hawaiian medium pathway of education alongside the State's current, dominant, English medium pathway by:

(1)  Requiring the Hawaiian Language College at the University of Hawaii at Hilo to:

(A)  Be internally administered primarily through the Hawaiian language, operate year-round, and offer and administer a variety of programs and qualifications; and

(C)  Increase its functional scope to include, among other things, Native American languages and other endangered languages;

(2)  Authorizing the Hawaiian Language College to offer its programs worldwide and through electronic means;

(3)  Authorizing the University of Hawaii System to establish a pilot program to implement Hawaiian language instruction and develop new ideas, practices, and processes relative to Hawaiian language medium education;

(4)  Requiring the directors of the Hawaiian language programs of the University of Hawaii System to join with the President of the University of Hawaii, the former working group created by S.R. No. 97, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2015, and appropriate community members, to develop an implementation plan to address the system-wide Hawaiian language goals set forth in the report by the working group; and

(5)  Requiring annual reports to the Legislature by the University of Hawaii on the progress and status of its Hawaiian language implementation plan.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Public Charter School Board of Ke Kula ‘O Nāwahīokalani-‘opu‘u; Guam Department of Education; Native Hawaiian Education Council; Pāunana Leo o Ko‘olau Poko Preschool; Hale Kuamo‘o Hawaiian Language Center; Faculty Senate of Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language;  Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani Hawaiian Language College; Hawaiian Affairs Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Kamehameha Schools; Ukwanshin Kabudan; and numerous concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies opposed this measure.  The University of Hawaii submitted comments.  

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Expanding the functional scope of the Hawaiian Language College to require it to collaborate with:

          (A)  Interested post-secondary educational institutions, including the University of Hawaii Maui College; and

          (B)  The University of Hawaii System in developing, establishing, and implementing any statewide pilot project to implement Hawaiian language instruction  and develop new ideas, practices, and processes relative to Hawaiian language medium education;

     (2)  Adding the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii Maui College, in addition to other Chancellors, to assist the President of the University of Hawaii in the authorized pilot project; and

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

     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. 848, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 848, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair