STAND. COM. REP. 2013

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2166

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2166 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EDUCATION OF FOSTER YOUTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to extend the eligibility requirements for higher education board allowances for foster youth.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services, the University of Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and Hale Kipa.

Your Committee finds that encouraging and preparing foster youth to pursue higher education is the best way to ensure that they can achieve sustainable self-sufficiency. However, youth seeking a four-year college degree often need more than four years to complete the degree requirements. By extending the eligibility benefits from four years to five and one-half years and deleting the requirement of applying within one year of their high school completion, more foster youth will be able to complete their college degrees.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2166 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair