STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1769
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2021
RE: S.C.R. No. 115
S.D. 1
H.D. 1
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2021
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 115, S.D. 1, entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO EXAMINE THE REASONABLENESS AND FEASIBILITY OF THE EXISTING POLICIES, STANDARDS, RULES, GUIDELINES, AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE UNIVERSITY HOUSING PROGRAM,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The
purpose of this measure is to
request:
(1) The University of
Hawaii, with the oversight of the Chairperson of the University of Hawaii Board
of Regents, to examine and assess the reasonableness and feasibility of the
existing policies, standards, rules, guidelines, and procedures governing the
University Housing Program; and
(2) The University of Hawaii and Chairperson of the Board of Regents to submit a report of their findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2022.
Your
Committee finds that the University of Hawaii at Manoa University Housing
Program, which consists of three housing projects located in Manoa, offers
rental housing to tenure-track and tenured faculty and other employees of the
University of Hawaii during their initial years of employment. Your Committee also finds that a November
2019 report by the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Office of Internal Audit and
previous reports issued in 2010 and 2013 identified various issues relating to
the University Housing Program's noncompliance with the policies of the
University of Hawaii Board of Regents and the Internal Revenue Code. The reports also raised concerns about deficiencies
in the enforcement and operations regarding University of Hawaii faculty and
employee housing. This measure requests
further examination and assessment of University of Hawaii employee housing
with respect to the reasonableness and feasibility of existing policies,
standards, rules, guidelines, and procedures governing the University Housing
Program.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Amending its title to read, "REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO EXAMINE AND ASSESS THE
REASONABLENESS AND FEASIBILITY OF THE CURRENT POLICIES, STANDARDS, RULES,
GUIDELINES, AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE UNIVERSITY HOUSING PROGRAM.";
(2) Clarifying that the
University of Hawaii examine and assess current, rather than existing,
policies, standards, rules, guidelines, and procedures governing the University
Housing Program;
(3) Requesting that the
report to the Legislature include a matrix of the properties constituting Oahu
Rental Projects and information on their tenants, including whether:
(A) The unit is occupied as of September 1, 2021, rather than as of May 1, 2021; and
(B) The tenant-faculty owns an interest in any other residential property on Oahu, rather than in the State; and
(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 115, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 115, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education & Technology,
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____________________________ GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair |
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