STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1348
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2019
RE: S.B. No. 919
S.D. 2
H.D. 1
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirtieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2019
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 919, S.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII BOARD OF REGENTS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to improve the governance of the University of Hawaii by:
(1) Amending the composition of the Board of Regents, including geographic representation;
(2) Reducing the number of members of the Board of Regents from 15 members to nine members and shortening term lengths from five years to four years;
(3) Specifying that at least one member of the Board of Regents must have demonstrated expertise in native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices;
(4) Requiring the Board of Regents to hold the president and administration of the University of Hawaii accountable for decisions, actions, and leases that incur additional costs to the University of Hawaii;
(5) Specifying the terms of holdover members of the Board of Regents; and
(6) Providing that no law or rule must prohibit discussions between members of the Legislature and members of the Board of Regents.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Raising the number of members of the Board of Regents from nine members to 11 members and restoring term lengths to five years;
(2) Deleting the requirement that of the two members of the Board of Regents representing the County of Hawaii, one must represent east Hawaii and one must represent west Hawaii;
(3) Restoring the County of Maui's two members on the Board of Regents;
(4) Increasing the City and County of Honolulu's members on the Board of Regents to five, with three members representing and residing in the First Congressional District and two members representing and residing in the Second Congressional District;
(5) Deleting the proposed rotating mechanism for selecting the student member of the Board of Regents;
(6) Deleting the requirement that at least one member of the Board of Regents must have demonstrated expertise in native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices;
(7) Deleting the provision that no law or rule must prohibit discussions between members of the Legislature and members of the Board of Regents;
(8) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2022, to encourage further discussion; and
(9) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 919, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 919, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,
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____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair |
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