STAND. COM. REP. NO. 437

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1345

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1345 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Board of Regents to grant a waiver on all tuition and mandatory fees to a resident student enrolled in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for the semester or term that the student enrolls in a state-approved teacher education program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; and Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committee finds that this measure will incentivize more individuals to pursue a career in education in the State by alleviating the financial burden of tuition for attendance at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for individuals who enroll in the College of Education. Your Committee further finds that granting a waiver on all tuition and mandatory fees to a qualifying resident student enrolled at the University of Hilo and University of Hawaii West Oahu will further attract individuals to pursue an education degree in the State.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Expanding the granting of a waiver on all tuition and mandatory fees to residents enrolled in a four-year college campus of the University of Hawaii with an education program or that offers an education degree for the semester or term that the student enrolls in a state-approved teacher education program; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, 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 H.B. No. 1345, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1345, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ANDREW TAKUYA GARRETT, Chair