THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2596

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO SENIOR CITIZENS.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the promotion of mental health for our kupuna, or senior citizens, is an important part of overall public health.  The legislature further finds that the United States Center for Disease Control and the Alzheimer's Association have stated that Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, which disproportionately impact senior citizens, have become a global public health crisis.  According to the Alzheimer's Association, there were an estimated twenty-seven thousand people in the State of Hawaii aged sixty-five years and older living with Alzheimer's in 2017, a figure expected to grow to thirty-five thousand by 2025.

     The legislature additionally finds that the senior citizen population is experiencing dramatic growth, which will exacerbate this public health crisis.  The number of Americans sixty-five years and older will grow from 40,300,000 in 2010 to a projected 74,100,000 in 2030, according to the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics' 2016 report.  Similarly, the number of Hawaii residents sixty years and older will grow from 277,400 in 2010 to a projected 448,710 in 2030, as stated in the 2011-15 Hawaii State Plan on Aging.

     While there is no cure for Alzheimer's, several studies and publications, including Jean Carper's book, "100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's and Age Related Memory Loss", provide evidence that continuing education may delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms.  The legislature acknowledges that there are several existing programs aimed at promoting mental health for Hawaii's senior citizens through formal education.  The University of Hawai‘i at Manoa's Senior Citizen Visitor Program, the Na Kupuna Program, allows approximately three hundred Hawai‘i senior citizens to attend college courses free of charge without receiving university credit.  These programs promote lifelong learning for senior citizens while adding senior citizen wisdom and experience to the classroom setting.

     Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to establish a five-year pilot program at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo that allows senior citizens to attend college classes free of charge for no credit and allows senior citizens to receive a reduced tuition for college classes they enroll in for credit.

     SECTION 2.  The University of Hawai‘i shall establish a five-year senior citizen higher education access pilot program at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.  The pilot program shall:

     (1)  Allow individuals aged sixty years or older to attend college classes free of tuition and for no credit;

     (2)  Reduce applicable tuition cost by       per cent for individuals aged sixty years or older enrolled in college classes for credit; and

     (3)  Begin in the fall of 2019.

     SECTION 3.  The University of Hawai‘i shall submit a written report on the progress of the senior citizen higher education access pilot program, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2024.  The report shall address but shall not be limited to:

     (1)  The number of pilot program participants who attended college classes for no credit per semester;

     (2)  The number of pilot program participants enrolled in college classes for credit per semester;

     (3)  The amount of foregone tuition revenue per semester; and

     (4)  The number of degrees attained in part or in whole because of the pilot program.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2018, and shall be repealed on June 30, 2024.

 

 

 

Report Title:

Higher Education; Senior Citizens; Pilot Program

 

Description:

Establishes a senior citizen higher education access pilot program at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.  Requires a report to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2024.  Repeals June 30, 2024.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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