STAND. COM. REP. NO. 883

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 848

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 848, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to expand the functions of the Hawaiian Language College at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

     Specifically, this measure:

(1)  Requires the Hawaiian Language College at the University of Hawaii at Hilo to be internally administered through the Hawaiian language and operate year round;

(2)  Requires the Hawaiian Language College to offer programs and courses through the Hawaiian language and to provide support of the use of the Hawaiian language;

(3)  Authorizes the Hawaiian Language College to offer programs worldwide and through electronic means;

(4)  Authorizes the University of Hawaii to establish a Hawaiian language pilot project to implement Hawaiian language instruction and develop new ideas, practices, and processes relative to Hawaii language medium education;

(5)  Requires the University of Hawaii to develop an implementation plan to address the system wide Hawaiian language goals in the report generated in response to S.R. No. 97, S.D. 1, Regular Session 2015; and

(6)  Requires the University of Hawaii to submit reports to the Legislature on efforts to implement education taught through the Hawaiian language, the status of the implementation plan, and the number of students pursuing education though the Hawaiian language.

     Your Committees received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaiian Affairs Caucus; Nawahiokalani‘opu'u Iki LPCS;

Hale Kuamo‘o Hawaiian Language Center; ‘Aha Punana Leo; Punana Leo o Waimea; Punana Leo o Maui; Punana Leo o Manoa; Punana Leo o Lahaina; Punana Leo o Koolau Poko;  Punana Leo o Koolau Loa;

Punana Leo o Kauai; Punana Leo o Honolulu; Punana Leo o Hilo;

Punana Leo o Hana; Punana Leo o Molokai; Punana Leo o Kona; Punana Leo o Waianae; and thirty-six individuals.

     Your Committees received comments in opposition to this measure from the University of Hawaii System, the Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies, and Hawai‘inuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge.

     Your Committees received comments on this measure from Kamehameha Schools and one individual.

     Your Committees find that legislative efforts to remove barriers to the use of Hawaiian as the medium of education began over three decades ago in 1986, and have since then led to Hawaiian medium program enrollment of more than three thousand students annually in K-12 public schools statewide.  However, schools that teach through the Hawaiian language are experiencing a significant shortage in qualified teachers.  Your Committees further find that expanding the functions of the Hawaiian language programs, including providing for the instruction of liberal arts and general education courses through the Hawaiian language, will help to develop strong Hawaiian language proficiency in future teachers, which will help to address the current teacher shortage.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the development of the implementation plan to address the system wide Hawaiian language goals shall involve the former working group created by S.R. No. 97, S.D.1, Regular Session 2015, and community members;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to March 9, 2092, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 848, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 848, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor,

________________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair

________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair