STAND. COM. REP. NO. 978

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 316

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 316, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to expand the Hawaii Community College Promise Program to four-year institutions within the University of Hawaii system.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii, University of Hawaii Alumni Association, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii, and Hawaii Educational Policy Center.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that this measure provides financial assistance to students with demonstrated financial need, increasing the number of economically disadvantaged students who can attend and graduate with a degree from the University of Hawaii system.

Your Committee further finds that the University of Hawaii Community College Promise Program, established pursuant to Act 14, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, has a base budget of $3,200,000. Your Committee finds that this measure, as amended, will provide an additional $800,000 to the program, increasing the total budget to $4,000,000. Your Committee finds that this will allow the program to provide up to ninety per cent of the funding gap for qualifying students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring that the University of Hawaii:

(A) Annually collect data on the Hawaii Community College Promise Program and its scholarship recipients; and

(B) Submit an annual report to the Legislature no later than thirty days prior to the Regular Session of 2021 and each legislative session thereafter;

(2) Removing a provision appropriating moneys to fund the Hawaii promise program for four-year institutions;

(3) Specifying an appropriation amount of $800,000 for fiscal year 2019-2020, and the same sum for fiscal year 2020-2021, for the Hawaii Community College Promise Program;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 316, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 316, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair