STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1334

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.R. No. 173

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.R. No. 173 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO ABANDON THE UNIVERSITY AFFILIATED RESEARCH CENTER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to promote academic freedom and the generation and dissemination of information, and to safeguard our communities, environment, and native Hawaiian values by urging the University of Hawaii (UH) to abandon the University Affiliated Research Center (UARC).

A member of the Hawaii County Council, Life of the Land, the American Friends Service Committee, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this resolution. UH, Referentia Systems, Inc., Strategic Solutions, Inc., and a few concerned individuals opposed this measure.

Your Committee has amended this resolution by:

(1) Clarifying that UH is urged to abandon establishing UARC;

(2) Deleting language relating to the funding of UARC;

(3) Deleting language relating to the lack of consideration for the ethical and moral issues of institutionalizing classified military research and weapons development at UH;

(4) Deleting background information about other military and classified research projects that have been conducted in Hawaii, including those involving UH, and that have adversely affected people and the environment;

(5) Deleting language describing the lack of representation in the group of individuals authorized to decide which UARC secret research projects can be conducted; and

(6) Deleting the provision that states classified military research contradicts the official values of UH as a "Hawaiian place of learning";

(7) Including a more accurate description of the resolution passed by the UH-Manoa Faculty Senate in light of the establishment of UARC; and

(8) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 173, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 173, H.D. 1.

 

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

 

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair