So, some of these really nice terms that you folks have named your committees may sound good, but for the general public, even for myself, I have no clue what's in student success. Could be everything, right? The whole whole intent of the university is student success. But yeah, so I was not aware that CIP is under student. So maybe if the public had a better idea of what some of these committees actually >> Yeah. >> have oversight of, it would be better because Yeah. So maybe you guys need to talk about that because certainly I think that change is making everybody more confused as to where the responsibilities are and who's doing what as far as committees. Yeah. And I understand combining it. we combined lower ed and higher ed. So, you know, I mean, so we're we're not arguing that, but certainly I think that the board needs to really look at some of these areas in which Yeah.
You know, should the vice president have that many positions? And I know you defer it to the president, but I think the board needs to weigh in on some of this because it shouldn't be the legislature. And again, if you folks are doing it, then we're not going to do it. I don't want to do it. I don't want to be here and ask these questions. That's your guys's job. But when you don't do it, then we do it. And then if you're not going to do it responsibly, then guess what? We're going to pass a bill. >> That's just the nature of it, right? So a lot of times when we introduce measures, it's kind of like a message. And if the message is heard, then maybe the bill doesn't get passed. Message not heard, then the bills don't pass this year, may pass next year, you know.
Um and and it's really troubling. last last year, was it the year before, where we had a compromise with the administration on a certain bill and we did certain things, then they went and lobbyed the governor to veto the measure, which to me was very disingenuous and why we have this distrust between the legislature and and the administration. So, we welcome the new leadership that hopefully we won't have that kind of situation again. >> Understood. >> Questions? Okay. Thank you. >> You How we gonna sit there? President Senate Senate Bill 3229. This is on um >> uh donors >> foundation. Yeah. Authorizes the University of Hawaii uh use of University of Hawaii tuition and special fees fund to conduct donor evaluations. requires the related report to the legislature to include any donor evaluations conducted using monies from the fund. And so, President, you're up for Lewis.
>> Um, we stand on our testimony and support of this bill. We are we welcome the accountability. Uh, we had already begun to discuss how to do this type of donor assessment. Uh, probably using a third party to come in and do some um surveys and and focus groups. So, this is most welcome. >> Okay. I hope it's not going to, you know, they when I hear consultants, I'm like, okay, more more fun. >> Well, you you don't want the same people. >> Yes. No, that's true. So, this is, you know, >> perfect consultant use in this case. >> Okay. Tim Dolan. >> Thank you, chair. Um, as echoed by President Hansel, we stand by our submitted comments on SP 3229. Uh we welcome any suggestions for improving our operations and enhancing donor relations and therefore we have no objections to the bill. >> Okay, good.
Thank you. Uh we had one Leilani Dlo individual in opposition. Anyone else here wishing to testify on this measure? If not members, any questions? >> Questions? No questions. Okay, very good. We're moving on to the next one. Um Senate Bill 2659. Uh this measure is Board of Regents prohibit active employees of the University of Hawaii or RCU of the University from serving on the board of regents. And we have Ivon Lao or >> it's just comments. >> Okay. Uh and then Scott Collins from HGA in opposition. Um I think that's all. Anyone else wishing to testify on Senate Bill 2659? I was going to call you anyway. So good telepathy. >> Chair, committee members, Gabe Lee, chair of uh Board of Regents, but um speaking as an individual since the board of regents meets next week to um decide on bills. um for this um bill um I recommend that um an exception be made for student regions that work part-time as well as um professionals, full-time professionals and their um say like the um doctors or attorneys that are part-time faculty at say um Jabson or Richardson Um both of these would um uh increase the pool of candidates.
Thank you. >> Okay, members questions. Wait, don't go. Question. Question. Don't go. Yeah. So, as far as the possibility of conflicts, you don't think that just because they're part-time that it lessens them? the um well we've had it if the regent feels that there is a conflict that they um um excuse theirel from it >> but we haven't seen that in the case of some of the members that are actually employed by the university that is sitting on the board. No, we we we've had um incidents where people have um left the room on certain um conversations. >> Okay. Well, one come to mind that that person didn't didn't recuse themselves. So, um but yeah, I guess it's it's a matter of wanting to try, you know, it's like the board of education wants a teacher on Yeah. um or DOE wants a teacher or HSDA wants a teacher on the board of education, you know, it's just that there's and then again there's no no guarantee on how that person is going to to interact, but it's to keep it so that you know retired teachers, retired professors, you know, students that >> then decide they want to after they're stopped employment want to be on.
I mean, there are a lot of opportunities there. So >> yeah and then for the um the the regents uh I know that they do look through the agenda and they they um take the advice of council if they should also abstain from any um any of the parts of the meeting. >> Okay. Thank you members.
Any questions? No. >> Okay. The next item on the agenda I think uh is done. Thank you guys. We shall shift over Senate Bill 3325. This is on the relating to public school Medicaid reimbursements. Requires Department of Education to establish an updated plan for maximizing Medicaid reimbursements for administrative and support services provided to students with special needs. Requires annual reports to the legislature. Um, first up is Keith Aayashi for DOE. Good afternoon, Chair Kim, Vice Chair Kedani, members of the board. I'm Heidi Armstrong, Department of Education. Um the department supports um Senate Bill 3352. Um we we do agree that transparent um accountability is warranted at this time and um we strongly support this measure. We've put one amendment in our testimony that would make for more um seamless reporting. Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Johnny May Perry individual also in support. Is there anyone else here wishing to testify on this measure?
If not, members questions. So I guess Heidi, if you can come back. So how long how how soon you think that this plan will come to fruition? Okay, we we will um it will come to you as the bill requested 20 days before next legislative session. If we get it earlier, if you want it earlier, we will give it to you. Um I I would like to clarify in our amendment which was B the um the um bill asked for the number of eligible administrative and support services provided classified by complex area. Um we can give um in the report the direct services for each complex area but we cannot give the administrative um numbers because it's lumped all in one um bucket. But if you wanted direct services, we could leave that in. But the administrative services um which are all the paperwork that or the um reimbursement for any activity that's done to make sure that service gets delivered that is in one bucket and we wouldn't be able to separate that by complex area or service delivered.
>> Okay. And the intent is to ask for reimbursement not just for a one portion that you folks are asking for now. >> Correct. Nursing side, right? It's across the board. >> We want to go across the board. We will start out because our nurses are contracted um and that that's our starting point um for um starting up reimbursement services again. Okay.
Members, any questions? >> Thank you. Thank you. Senate Bill 3232 relating to university university universal school meals establishes the universal school meals special fund to accept deposits of the Medicaid reimbursement received by the department of education or good afternoon chair vice chair members um Brian how this is superintendent for fiscal services testifying on behalf of the department stands on written testimony which provides comments on this measure, but I would summarize just to say there's support for the intent of universal meals. There's just some technical issues with uh nexus and jeopardizing the current use of of those Medicaid dollars. >> Okay, thank you. HST here. Um, Lauren Zerbble on Zoom. >> Not present on Zoom. Chair. >> Okay, we have Brandon Kennard in support and Johnny May Perry also in support. Anyone else here wishing to testify on this measure?
Hearing none questions. Members, Brian, I have questions. Okay. So, if I read the your testimony correctly, uh you mentioned that the cost to for the program where is that appointment agrees with the reporting provision of the bill except clarifying amendment requested for sure. No, that's not it. Where is it? Sorry, I'm looking at the wrong. >> Okay. Well, why don't I just ask this? So, what is the cost to run the this run run the program that the the reimbursements would then pay for? >> I think the revenues are used both to maintain the infrastructure, the staffing in order to do the claiming and and support for the processing of that, but as well as to provide capital to to churn through. We I think I believe we have to spend money in order to bring the money back in. Any excess funds historically we've been using to assist with special ed related expenses.
Um historically that's that's been in the area of skilled nursing services. So the exact number on on what it costs to to maintain the program I would have to get back to you on. >> Okay. But in light of the fact that we haven't been getting the full reimbursements because we've only done the nursing and the fact that last year or this past year we haven't even collected anything. We've gotten some direct services. So how are we paying for the how are we paying for the um ser for the program and what is that cost? >> There's there's a current carryover balance in this fund. Um and this is thanks in part to we had 2.3 million in revenue in 22, 6.4 million in 23, 9.4 4 million in 24 and 2 2.6 million in 25. So because of that historic revenues, that's how we've been able to to weather so far um the the lack of revenue.
>> So we could actually take portions of of whatever reimbursements because obviously when we go for the full the full high then we will get a lot more money coming in. >> I think that's what this bill is contemplating. But I but I think the way I read it is it's all of the revenues, >> right? But um >> as you know we can amend measures but >> and and it's a lot of use for universal meals but as I mentioned we have been using it for um to offset what we would otherwise require general fund support for in our special education area and and it's been a a good buffer in terms of shortfalls. We were running a shortfall in skilled nursing for example for for a couple of years. Eventually the legislature was able to come through and and assist us with with additional general funds.
So, it's a mechanism that that's that's worked. It's a mechanism that currently has uncertainty in future revenues. So, just at this point in time, this this may not be um the best way to fund universal meals is is really what we're we're testifying on. >> So, how would you how would you pay for universal meals? >> Oh, boy. Um well I think you know the food service program when when it's not when it requires subsidies to operate the the source we look to is the state general funds for for support. Currently we have a $74 million general fund appropriation to to support that program >> and I would expect that additional assistance would be needed from the state side and and that's estimated about 16 to 26 million. we don't have that monies then what I guess they were looking at how do we how do we fund some of these programs that the community believes is needed that the schools need how do we get that monies to the schools >> I suspect that's part of the motivation for for looking at this bill I mean public education unfortunately is not generally a money-m endeavor especially at the the K to2 level um >> but this is this is a creative idea >> so in the areas that we've been living on leaving on the table millions of dollars that have not been asked for and hopefully now with the plan now we focused on it that you know some states have gotten as much as $40 million and I don't know if we're going to get that kind of lump sum but um certainly even a fraction of that is a lot more than what you're getting now to run the programs and you're sitting on some um excess funds and how do we get those funds into the classrooms and uh to the to the schools And and that's what that where this spell is coming from, right?
I mean, this is one idea. Doesn't have to be meals, could be could be other things, you know, could be teacher pay, could be other kinds of things. So, >> yeah. And certainly with anything you get reimburseed for the nature is you're spending money to make money. Exactly. That's >> But yes, we hear you. >> Okay. Thank you very much, members. Any other questions? Not. So, next item, Senate Senate Bill 2551 requires the teacher education standards board to de develop an alternate pathway for a visiting international educator uh permit aligned to the duration of the educators J1 visa program. I just want to note that Senate Bill 2551 and Senate Bill 2875 are the exact same measures. That's how important we thought this measure is. So, we have two bills put on the agenda at the same time, but it is the exact same bill.
So, I will take the testifiers for both measures um as uh as I called you. So, um testifying for Senate Bill 2551 and for Senate Bill 2875. So, first up is Amy Alani. Amy testifying for Legal Clinic. >> Aloha. Uh thank you. >> Thank you very much for this opportunity. I uh stand by my testimony. I believe that there is a need uh to address uh teacher shortages and this uh opportunity and resources are are valuable and uh from my um uh experience and and con contacts in the community, I've been told it a very good program and I support it. Okay, thank you. Let's testifier. Douglas Ber also on Zoom. >> Yes. Good afternoon, chair, vice chair, members of the committee. My name is uh Doug Berer and I am the principal of Lai High and Elementary School and I strongly support both of these bills since as they're being combined on Lai.
J1 va teachers filled 21 of our 62 teaching positions. Without them, we would struggle to staff classrooms and maintain instructional continuity. Nearly half of our students, 49%, which is about 306 children, identify as Filipino. Many of our J1 teachers share linguistic, cultural, regional, and family ties with our community. Their ability to communicate with parents in their native language strengthens trust, deepens engagement, and builds authentic school home partnerships that directly supports student success. However, as we know, Hawaii does not recognize foreign teaching licenses or reciprocity and requires additional costs and timesensitive exams. These are times that there are times that teachers cannot complete the full lensure within the three-year period. To put this into and and expand for their two-year extension to put this in perspective, consider Professor John Hattie from Australia, New Zealand, the internationally recognized educator, former teacher, administrator, community professor who synthesized over 1,000 metaanalysis on student achievement.
>> Okay, Doug, I don't mean to interrupt you, but your time is up and we have a full house of other bills we have to take those. So um if we we might have questions for you. So um thank you. Uh we have next up Keith Hayashi for Yi. >> Good afternoon Chair Kim, Vice Chair Kadani, members of the committee. Sean Bacon speaking on behalf of the department.
We stand in support of this bill and are available to answer any questions. Thank you. >> Thank you. Mitsy Higa for Hawaii Teacher Standard Board. >> Sorry, good afternoon. Speaking on behalf of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board. We stand in opposition to both of these bills. Um, we can already the board can already do this and we do. We license and we permit J1 teachers all the time. Um so this is putting it into law is unnecessary and that's um what the board has decided. Um they have they can actually bring this idea up and they have in the past but they have not um they they didn't feel a need to enact it. Anyone from anywhere can get a license or permit as long as they meet the criteria. And we already have people in our state that are J1 visa holders that do have permit or license.