STAND. COM. REP. NO. 328-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2121

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Economic Development & Business and Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2121 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve gender equity in the computer science field by increasing the number of women majoring in computer science through the establishment of a Center for Women in Technology within the Department of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of Hawaii.

HawaiiKidsCAN, Dev League LLC, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Technology Development Corporation and University of Hawaii testified in support of the intent of this measure.

Your Committees understand the concerns raised by the University of Hawaii that establishing the Center for Women in Technology within the Department of Information and Computer Sciences, which is located at the University of Hawaii's Manoa campus would limit the University's ability to make as wide an impact as it could if the Center were made available systemwide. As such, it is the intent of your Committees that the Center for Women in Technology at the University of Hawaii be a virtual Center that will be made available through the ten campuses of the University of Hawaii system.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the requirement that the Center for Women in Technology be established in the Department of Information and Computer Sciences and instead establishing it as a virtual center at the University of Hawaii;

(2) Inserting a sunset provision date of June 30, 2023;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development & Business and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2121, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2121, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development & Business and Higher Education,

____________________________ ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair

____________________________ CINDY EVANS, Chair