STAND. COM. REP. NO.  228

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 908

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 908 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TUITION WAIVERS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SYSTEM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to encourage more Hawaiian and native Hawaiian individuals to pursue higher education goals by requiring the University of Hawaii (UH) to grant tuition waivers to each student enrolled in the UH System who is Hawaiian or native Hawaiian.

 

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  UH supported the intent of this measure.  A concerned individual opposed this bill.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Allowing students to prove that they are Hawaiian or native Hawaiian through their birth certificates, instead of an OHA Hawaiian registry enrollment card; and

 

(2)  Requiring that a student also demonstrate financial need to obtain a tuition waiver.


     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 908, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 908, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair