STAND. COM. REP. NO. 519

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1624

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1624 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require that the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii expend funds appropriated to Renew, Improve, and Modernize projects for Renew, Improve, and Modernize project purposes only.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that it is of critical importance that public funds are used specifically for their intended purposes. Your Committee further finds that funds appropriated to the University of Hawaii for Renew, Improve, and Modernize projects should be used specifically for those projects and not for current or anticipated capital improvement projects. This measure holds the University of Hawaii accountable for its expenditures, ensuring that funds appropriated to the University are expended for their intended purpose.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the report from the University of Hawaii required by this measure shall be submitted to the Legislature no later than thirty days, rather than twenty days, prior to the convening of each Regular Session; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1624, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1624, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair