STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3074

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2056

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2056, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to help degree-seeking individuals in the State to make better-informed decisions regarding post-secondary education and career choices.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the University of Hawaii, in collaboration with numerous other entities, including the Department of Education and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, to further develop interactive web tools to provide access to job data and earnings calculators, thereby enabling degree-seeking individuals to make better-informed, data-based decisions;

(2) Requires the University of Hawaii to submit an annual report to the Legislature regarding its progress; and

(3) Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii to develop these interactive web tools.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

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

Your Committee finds that this measure supports sound and informed exploration of academic degree and career workforce pathways by degree-seeking individuals in the State. Your Committee further finds that facilitating academic and career choices that satisfy an individual's personal and professional goals benefits the State's overall economic well-being.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) 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. 2056, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2056, 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