STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2837

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2056

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Higher Education, Education, and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.B. No. 2056 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Requires the University of Hawaii to collaborate with the Department of Education and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop and implement an interactive web tool that will enable degree-seeking individuals to make better-informed decisions regarding their post-secondary education and career choices; and

(2) Appropriates funds.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System and Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committees find that the University of Hawaii has an interactive web tool called the Hawaii Career Explorer that was developed by the University of Hawaii Community College, supported in part by private foundation grants. It has functionalities that substantially accomplish what is proposed in this measure.

Your Committees further find that the Department of Education is working collaboratively with the University of Hawaii on projects, such as the Hawaii Career Explorer web tool development project, to allow students to navigate occupations, salaries, and university programs to better prepare them in making educational and career choices. Your Committees believe that the development of these tools deserve increase attention to expand their functionalities, making them easier to access and use by students, prospective and current employers, and the public. There is also a need to expand the use of the tools to cover and include the fast changing labor and employment markets. Your Committees also believe that the collaboration of the University of Hawaii and the Department of Education to improve and expand web access and use should include other governmental agencies, such as the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, private businesses and foundations, and others who are interested in assisting students in making post-secondary educational and career choices.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the purpose section which laid out the rationale for creating an interactive web tool; and

(2) Requiring the University of Hawaii to collaborate with a diverse array of public and private stakeholders that will enable degree-seeking individuals to make better-informed decisions regarding their post‑secondary education and career choices.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education, Education, and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2056, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2056, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education, Education, and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair	________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair
	________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair