For the first time in decades—if not ever—the Hawaiʻi State Legislature convened a legislative hearing on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus on February 7. The House Committee on Higher Education hearing marked a historic step in fostering direct engagement between state lawmakers and the UH community, addressing key issues such as financial aid, university athletics, mental health resources and the UH Cancer Center.
“As a proud UH graduate, I believe it’s crucial to hear directly from the students impacted by our legislation,” said Rep. Andrew Takuya Garrett, chair of the House Higher Education Committee. “We tailored today’s agenda to focus on bills relevant to students, and I was excited to see so many take the time to testify and share their thoughts with us.”
The hearing drew 40 attendees, including students, university leadership and community stakeholders. Members of the UH Student Caucus provided testimony on many of the 12 bills that were heard, voicing student perspectives on key issues.
“This shows that the legislature truly wants to connect with students and bridge that gap,” and Ronald Sturges, the UH Student Caucus president who testified at the meeting. “I can’t speak for them, but as a student, I used to feel disconnected from policymakers. Many students aren’t engaged with the political sphere, and it’s time we change that.”
Among the measures discussed was HB542, which seeks to expand the Hawaiʻi Promise Program to include students at UH’s four-year universities, significantly increasing access to financial aid across the system.
Another bill, HB842, aims to strengthen campus mental health support, and would provide funding for three permanent mental health practitioner positions at UH Mānoa’s Counseling and Student Development Center.
The committee also reviewed legislation related to resident tuition fees, relief funding and invasive species mitigation efforts. The bills continue through the legislative process and Garrett says he hopes his committee is able to return to campus for more hearings.
“I know it’s a lot of work for the staff to coordinate all this, but if we can come back in another month, I would love to consider it,” said Garrett.
