STAND. COM. REP. NO. 442-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 1994

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1994 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the University of Hawaii Maui College for scholarships in its Office of International and Regional Partnerships to subsidize travel expenses and tuition.

Prior to the hearing on this measure, your Committee posted and made available for public review a proposed H.D. 1, which preserves the content of this measure and additionally establishes and appropriates funds for a Network Improvement Community Task Force to develop a K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teacher education degree for the University of Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one Maui County Council member. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and University of Hawaii Community Colleges.

Your Committee finds that there is a shortage of qualified STEM teachers in the State. The proposed H.D. 1 establishes a task force that will coordinate with the University of Hawaii to develop a K‑12 STEM teacher education program, with the goal of building the capacity for, and eventually establishing, a statewide program to recruit, prepare, and retain K-12 STEM teachers that will work in high-need areas.

Your Committee further finds that the University of Hawaii Maui College's Office of International and Regional Partnerships works continuously to connect students from Maui and abroad through study abroad programs that offer students the opportunity to gain foreign language skills and cross-cultural competence. The proposed H.D. 1 provides funding to the University of Hawaii Maui College's Office of International and Regional Partnerships to continue the Office's work in sending students to participate in study abroad programs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by adopting the proposed H.D. 1 and further amending the measure by:

(1) Changing the amount appropriated for the study abroad programs offered by the University of Hawaii Maui College's Office of International and Regional Partnerships to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; and

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

Should your Committee on Finance decide to hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $37,500 for the study abroad programs offered by the University of Hawaii Maui College's Office of International and Regional Partnerships.

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 H.B. No. 1994, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1994, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair