STAND. COM. REP. NO. 631

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 826

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 826, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PUNA DISTANCE LEARNING CENTER,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for a distance learning center in the Puna district within the University of Hawaii at Hilo to increase access to education for this underserved region.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System, Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, the Councilmember for the Fifth District of the County of Hawaii, and two concerned individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the University of Hawaii System is attempting to evolve Hawaii Community College into a distributed campus, with locations in Hilo, Palamanui, and the North Hawaii Education and Research Center.  Your Committee therefore believes that Hawaii Community College is best suited to manage the Puna distance learning center and will be able to deliver programs from other University of Hawaii campuses, including the University of Hawaii at Hilo, as needed.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Designating Hawaii Community College as the unit hosting the distance learning center, rather than the University of Hawaii at Hilo; and

 

     (2)  Clarifying that the purpose of the distance learning center is to provide greater access to post-secondary education in the Puna district.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 826, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 826, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair