STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1553

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.C.R. No. 79

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 79 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO CREATE A PLAN FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MARITIME COLLEGE AND TO ESTABLISH A MARITIME COLLEGE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the University of Hawaii to convene a working group to create a plan for the establishment of a maritime college and to establish a maritime college.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawaii System.

 

     Your Committee finds that maritime colleges combine critical career technical training with the well-rounded curriculum of a baccalaureate degree program to prepare individuals for maritime careers.  Despite a shortage of mariners in the State, Hawaii does not have a maritime college.  Given that many Hawaii residents cannot afford to attend college outside of the State, establishing a state maritime college would increase access to the education necessary for maritime careers for Hawaii residents and would allow Hawaii's maritime industry to hire skilled workers from within the State, rather than from outside of Hawaii.  This measure therefore addresses the lack of educational maritime opportunities in the State to help develop a robust, highly skilled local mariner workforce.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting legislative findings suggesting that this body considers all offshore energy production to be marine energy; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     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 S.C.R. No. 79, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 79, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair