STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1452

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1547

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1547, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for:

(1) The University of Hawaii to provide all student-athletes enrolled at the university with two additional meals per day; and

(2) The University of Hawaii athletics program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System.

Your Committee finds that educational institutions that are Division I members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, such as the University of Hawaii, are allowed to provide meals to student-athletes as a benefit incidental to participation in intercollegiate athletics. Additionally, these institutions are also allowed to provide a student-athlete with financial aid, including a board allowance consisting of the value of the maximum meal plan that is available to students. Although the National Collegiate Athletic Association allows for incidental meals and snacks for student-athletes out of season, the University of Hawaii only provides its student-athletes with one meal per day incidental to participation while the student-athletes are in season. This measure would provide support to ensure the health and wellness of student-athletes at the University of Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying findings related to the bylaws of the National Collegiate Athletic Association that allow Division I members to provide incidental meals to student-athletes;

(2) Specifying that the appropriated funds shall be used to provide all student-athletes at the University of Hawaii with a meal incidental to competition and snacks as permitted by National Collegiate Athletics Association bylaws;

(3) Specifying that if the appropriated funds are used to provide meals for student-athletes incidental to participation to competition during the off-season, the incidental meal shall be in conjunction with a team workout;

(4) Specifying that the appropriated funds shall cover up to seventy-five percent of the costs associated with providing meals incidental to competition and snacks for student-athletes;

(5) Specifying that an athletic fundraising entity associated with the University of Hawaii, such as Ahahui Koa Ānuenue, the University of Hawaii athletics department, or extramural funding shall cover twenty-five percent of the costs associated with providing meals incidental to competition and snacks for student-athletes;

(6) Deleting language that would have appropriated funds for the University of Hawaii athletics program; and

(7) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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. 1547, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1547, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair