STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2784

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3184

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3184, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase access to post-secondary education for Hawaii's high school students and recent high school graduates.

Specifically, this measure expands the criteria for students to qualify for resident tuition fees at University of Hawaii campuses to include persons enrolled in a high school in the State, and recent graduates of high schools in the State.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, University of Hawaii, and Kamehameha Schools.

Your Committee finds that the current statutory requirements for determining residency for tuition purposes pose challenges for some graduates of Hawaii high schools. For example, students experiencing homelessness or having complex family situations may have difficulty providing evidence of bona fide residency. Your Committee further finds that recognizing local high school graduates and those who complete high school equivalences locally as residents for tuition purposes would facilitate the enrollment of these individuals at University of Hawaii campuses.

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. 3184, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3184, 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