HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

143

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the office of the auditor to conduct a sunrise REVIEW and feasibility study of the transfer of the licensing and regulation program for private trade, vocational, and technical schools from the department of education to the university of hawaii.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, H.B. No. 2454 (2016), proposes to transfer the licensing and regulation program for private trade, vocational, and technical schools from the Department of Education to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education testified during the public hearings of that bill that administering the licensing and regulation program for private trade, vocational, and technical schools does not align with the Department of Education's primary mission of focusing on K-12 public education; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education further testified that given its budgetary constraints and restrictions, its administration of the licensing and regulation program for private trade, vocational, and technical schools has taken and continues to take away valuable resources and time that should be solely focused on providing direct services and support for Hawaii public schools, educators, and students; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education acknowledged its inability to properly administer a regulatory program that is not compatible with the Department of Education's principal mission; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs also testified in opposition to H.B. No. 2454 (2016), asserting that the transfer of the licensing and regulation program for private trade, vocational, and technical schools from the Department of Education is unnecessary; and

 

     WHEREAS, given that private trade, vocational, and technical education can be viewed as a type of post-secondary education, and the University of Hawaii is the State's sole provider of public higher education, it may be more appropriate for the University of Hawaii to assume these responsibilities; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, the Senate concurring, that the Office of the Auditor is respectfully requested to conduct a sunrise review and feasibility study of transferring the licensing and regulation program for private trade, vocational, and technical schools from the Department of Education to the University of Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of the Auditor is requested to submit its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Acting Auditor, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, and President of the University of Hawaii.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Transfer of the Licensing and Regulation Program for Private Trade, Vocational, and Technical Schools; Department of Education; University of Hawaii; Auditor; Sunrise Review and Feasibility Study