HB1320

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that greater transparency is needed regarding graduate outcomes in higher education. Publicly reporting data on educational institutions' post‑graduation employment rates, median incomes, and other metrics will allow students and their families to make informed decisions about the student's career path and which educational institution the student will attend. Tracking and reporting this data will also help ensure institutional accountability and align higher education programs with the State's workforce development needs.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Require the university of Hawaii system to collect, analyze, and publicly report certain data on graduate outcomes;

(2) Require and appropriate moneys for the development and maintenance of a graduate outcomes dashboard; and

(3) Appropriate moneys for the establishment of two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) positions with the university of Hawaii system's office of the vice president for academic strategy to support this work.

The legislature declares that the purpose of this Act is a matter of statewide concern.

SECTION 2. Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding three new sections to part I, subpart A, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§304A- Graduate outcomes; data collection and reporting requirements. (a) The university of Hawaii system shall collect and publish data on the outcomes of its graduates within one year, three years, and five years of the student's graduation.

(b) Data sources for graduate outcomes may include:

(1) State workforce agency employment records;

(2) Graduate surveys;

(3) Federal databases, including the United States Census Bureau's post-secondary employment outcomes program; and

(4) Employer-reported data, where applicable.

(1) Employment rates;

(2) Median earnings;

(3) The percentage of graduates enrolled in a continuing education program; and

(4) Any other metrics the university of Hawaii system deems relevant.

(d) When possible, the data tracked and reported pursuant to subsection (c) shall be disaggregated by:

(1) Degree level;

(2) Field of study; and

(3) Racial demographic.

(e) All publicly reported data shall be anonymized to prevent the identification of individual graduates and shall comply with all applicable state and federal privacy laws, including the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

§304A- Graduate outcomes dashboard. The university of Hawaii system shall develop and maintain a centralized graduate outcomes dashboard, made publicly available on a website, that presents in a user-friendly format the university's graduate outcome data. The dashboard shall include:

(1) Interactive tools for filtering data by institution, degree level, field of study, and racial demographic;

(2) Visualization tools, including charts and graphs, to compare outcomes across educational institutions and programs; and

(3) Resources for prospective students, including information on in-demand careers and average student debt levels.

§304A- Reporting requirements. (a) The university of Hawaii system's office of the vice president for academic strategy shall submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session, beginning with the regular session of 2027. The report shall include:

(1) An annual summary evaluating institutional performance and workforce alignment;

(2) Any other metrics the university of Hawaii system deems relevant; and

(3) Any proposed legislation."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the development and maintenance of a graduate outcomes dashboard, including the establishment of the following positions within the office of the vice president for academic strategy:

(1) One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position focused on post-graduation workforce outcomes; and

(2) One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position focused on data visualization.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by university of Hawaii system for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. The university of Hawaii system shall begin collecting data as required by this Act no later than one year after the effective date of this Act; provided that the graduate outcomes dashboard shall be made publicly available no later than two years after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 3 of this Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1320
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII