STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2516

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2319

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Higher Education and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2319 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII BOARD OF REGENTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Amend the composition of and term limits for the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai‘i;

(2) Reestablish the Governor's authority to nominate and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint the members of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai‘i by repealing the Candidate Advisory Council for the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai‘i;

(3) Require the Governor to fill a vacancy on the Board of Regents within ninety days; and

(4) Require the Governor to nominate new members to the Board of Regents by January 29, 2019, and for those new members who are appointed to begin serving terms on March 1, 2019.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Association of Emeritus Regents of the University of Hawai‘i and one individual.

Your Committees find that while the Candidate Advisory Council for the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai‘i has nominated many outstanding appointees to the Board, important concerns have been raised as to the selection process. The potential value in granting the Governor the authority to select and appoint Regents on the basis of how each Regent's individual strengths will add to and complement the overall Board of Regents. Therefore, it is appropriate to reassess and seriously consider making significant changes to the appointment process for the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai‘i to increase the Governor's ability to appoint qualified individuals to serve as Regents and effectively lead the University of Hawai‘i System.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2319, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2319, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and Judiciary,

________________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair