STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2589

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2933

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2933 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD CHECKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to add the University of Hawaii to the list of agencies that are authorized to conduct criminal history record checks on current or prospective employees, including student employees and contractors and their employees, whose positions or duties are related to public safety.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii and a private individual.

Your Committee finds that the University of Hawaii is a diverse community including students, employees, and members of the public. Some students are still minors; some students live in on-campus residences; and some University functions are held at night. Accordingly, the university's public safety employees are called upon to perform a diverse array of security duties. University Security Officers are civil service employees whose recruitment has historically been performed by the Department of Human Resources Development. The university entered into an agreement with Department of Human Resources Development September 2019, under which the university has conducted six external recruitments of University Security Officers, which took approximately one month to complete. Without the agreement, this process would have taken an average of three to four months. Your Committee further finds that this measure will enable the Department of Human Resources Development to delegate to the University of Hawaii the authority to conduct background checks and perform all aspects of University Security Officer recruitment in an expeditious manner.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2933 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

________________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair