STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1563

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   S.B. No. 374

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 374, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DUAL CREDIT PROGRAMS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to expand opportunities for public high school students to earn both high-school and college-level academic credit simultaneously.

 

More specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Renames the Running Start Program as the Dual Credit Program;

 

(2)  Allows qualified high-school students in the ninth and tenth grades, not just the eleventh and twelfth grades, to participate in the Dual Credit Program;

 

(3)  Exempts students participating in the Dual Credit Program from paying University of Hawaii tuition and fees;

 

(4)  Specifies that certain student qualifications deemed appropriate by the Department of Education or University of Hawaii must be uniform across all campuses of the University of Hawaii that offer qualified courses;

 

     (5)  Specifies that University of Hawaii entry-level credit-bearing courses that fulfill an undergraduate or graduate degree course requirement and that are completed successfully also satisfy the Department of Education's graduation requirements; and

 

     (6)  Appropriates funds to the Department of Education and University of Hawaii for staff and other resources to administer the Dual Credit Program.  

 

     The University of Hawaii, State Office for Career and Technical Education, Hui for Excellence in Education, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii Business Roundtable, and several individuals provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Education, Aha Punana Leo, Kanu O Ka Aina Learning Ohana, Na Lei Naauao, and several individuals provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Blanking out the number of positions for which moneys were appropriated; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 374, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 374, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair