Joint House committees advance multiple university, education and conservation bills; college-savings measure deferred

The joint hearing of the House Committee on Higher Education and the House Committee on Education convened on Feb. 5, 2025, in Conference Room 309 to consider a broad slate of bills covering university financing, new academic programs, K–12 and community outreach, and coastal and cultural resource work.

The committees advanced several measures with committee recommendations to pass — mostly as amended — and deferred a handful for further review. Members repeatedly blanked out appropriation amounts and inserted defective effective dates to allow more detailed budget and policy discussions in subsequent hearings, and they deferred or postponed bills when legal or title concerns were raised.

Why it matters: Votes and committee recommendations will shape funding and authority for University of Hawaii campuses, create or expand local degree programs and workforce pipelines, and authorize inventories and planning for cultural and coastal resources that affect communities statewide.

What the committees did and discussed

Maui College Bachelor of Science in Nursing (HB 617) The committees voted to advance an amended HD1 for House Bill 617, which would establish a BSN program at University of Hawaii Maui College. Interim Vice President Della Terra Oka and nursing department chair Ann Scharnhorst testified in support. Scharnhorst described current faculty capacity and clinical placement plans, saying the program would require “only 1 more in the third year” of faculty and that clinical placements on Maui are achievable: “We admit 40 twice a year … we’re gonna go to … a new mission class of 30, and that will give us 90 simultaneous clinical placements.” The committee’s report blanks the appropriation for later consideration and inserts a deferred effective date to allow the Finance Committee to consider funding.

John A. Burns School of Medicine faculty positions (HB 718) The committees recommended passing HB 718 with amendments. Dean Sam Shoemaker of the John A. Burns School of Medicine testified in support of adding faculty positions in cardiovascular biology, tropical medicine, quantitative biostatistics and an environmental health and safety officer. The committee again removed dollar amounts from the bill text so the Finance Committee may review funding.

Medical education liaison at JABSOM (HB 1279) Testimony raised questions about the bill’s design and whether the proposed position should administer grants or act as a coordinator. Deputy Attorney General Candace Park told the committees of two constitutional concerns and said one could be addressed by identifying the bill as a law of statewide concern. After discussion, the committee voted to defer HB 1279 indefinitely.

University revolving fund, revenue bonds and Saint Francis site (HB 1169, HB 1168, HB 548) The committees treated several university finance and property bills as procedural but significant. HB 1169, consolidating conference center revolving funds, received a committee recommendation to pass with technical edits. For HB 1168, which would authorize the Board of Regents to issue revenue bonds, the committees recommended passage with amendments that remove the dollar authorization from the bill (leaving that for future Finance Committee review) and add a deferred effective date. CFO Young explained there are no specific projects currently tied to the $800 million figure discussed in testimony and that any issuance would require both legislative authority and appropriation for particular projects.

House Bill 548 would authorize revenue bonds or appropriations to acquire the former Saint Francis School campus at 2707 Pamoa Road if the property becomes available. University officials and community witnesses offered competing views. The university described past attempts to buy the site and said the current landowner has not indicated it is willing to sell; testimony from neighbors, cultural practitioners and descendants stressed archaeological, cultural, and traffic concerns. The committee advanced an HD1 with technical edits and left appropriation figures blank for subsequent budget consideration. The committee emphasized that the bill would not grant eminent‑domain authority or compel a private sale — it would only create a funding mechanism should the owner offer the parcel for sale.

University Space Science and Engineering initiative and Mauna Kea Scholars (HB 563) Lawmakers recommended passing HB 563 with amendments that delay final appropriation language. Doug Simons, director of the Institute for Astronomy, described workforce development aims and progress hiring faculty; Mauna Kea Scholars program lead Mary Beth Lachek said a dedicated staff position would allow expansion into more schools. Written support included messages from Mauna Kea observatories, county and business groups. The committee removed specific appropriation/FTE amounts for Finance Committee review but recommended support.

UH Hilo retention and internship positions (HB 443) Chancellor Bonnie Irwin of UH Hilo testified in support of funding for a retention coordinator, an internship coordinator and enrollment management initiatives; the committee recommended advancing the bill with appropriation language held for later budget review.

Fish‑pond inventory working group (HB 309) The committee advanced HB 309 as written. Witnesses including Department of Land and Natural Resources staff, University Sea Grant, and community fish‑pond practitioners testified in support of creating a University working group to inventory and map fish ponds on state lands. Testimony emphasized cultural and ecological benefits and longstanding restoration partnerships.

Naʻolelo / Hawaiian language reader appropriation (HB 1352 / HB 13 52) The committee heard from Dean Dana Osorio and supporters about the Naʻolelo program that produces Hawaiian‑language readers for immersion schools. Committee members asked the sponsor and dean to clarify bill text to ensure the appropriation could fund a graduate assistant and student writers; the bill was deferred to the committee’s Feb. 12 agenda for language and funding clarification.

College savings program (HB 707) Department of Taxation representative Winston Wong testified the department could administer the bill “as written.” The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities asked the committee to add ABLE accounts into the bill; DOTAX staff said the bill’s title may be inconsistent with the expanded benefit language that would permit K–12 expense use. The committees deferred HB 707 to a Feb. 11 hearing and asked the Attorney General for an opinion regarding the bill title.

How the committees voted (summary of committee actions) The committees either passed committee recommendations with amendments, passed as written, or deferred decisions. Committee actions include blanking appropriation amounts and inserting defective effective dates (commonly 07/01/3000 or 07/01/2000 in the drafts) to allow the Finance Committee and additional legal review to consider funding and titles.

Looking ahead Several bills were advanced to the standing committee report with the funding left for later consideration; several were deferred to upcoming meetings for legal, title, or drafting clarifications. Community testimony on Saint Francis and on fish‑pond restoration indicates follow‑up engagement will continue as bills progress to Finance and floor action.

Quotes (attributed to witnesses and officials who spoke at the hearing) • Winston Wong, Department of Taxation: “The department has submitted written testimony and comment on this bill. We reiterate that we can administer it as written.” • Ann Scharnhorst, professor of nursing and department chair, UH Maui College: “We do struggle with getting faculty but we have a big cadre of working nurses … this proposal would only require 1 more in the third year.” • Doug Simons, director, Institute for Astronomy: “We’re big supporters of that program, but it’s also, massively oversubscribed. So there are a lot of students that simply can’t participate.” • Sam Shoemaker, dean, John A. Burns School of Medicine: “We’re strongly in support of House Bill 718.”

Ending Committee chairs said the technical edits and funding blanks are intended to let Finance and, where necessary, the Attorney General resolve legal and budgetary details while preserving the intent of measures supported during the hearing. The joint committees will reconvene on items deferred to future dates, including HB 707 (college savings) on Feb. 11 and HB 13 52 (Naʻolelo appropriation) on Feb. 12.