STAND. COM. REP. NO. 759-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2113

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2113, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide state tuition grants for qualified current employees of the State who are admitted to and enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree program or community college program of the University of Hawaii and commit to employment with the State for a certain period of years.

The Hawaii Government Employees Association, and Hawaii State Teachers Association supported the measure. The Department of Human Resources Development submitted comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Providing that if a person is unable to fulfill the entire employment commitment because of an involuntary lay-off, that person is not obligated to refund the State for the pro-rata portion of the grant for the amount of employment commitment remaining;

(2) Providing that notwithstanding chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Department of Human Resources Development must continuously develop and update a list of approved state positions;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

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

It is not the intent of your Committee to contravene the merit principle of the civil service.

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 H.B. No. 2113, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2113, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair