Bill Text: HI HR80 | 2013 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Unaccredited Universities and Colleges
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-28 - Report adopted. referred to the committee(s) on LMG as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Belatti, Ito, C. Lee, Tokioka excused (4). [HR80 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2013-HR80-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
80 |
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TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A SUNRISE REVIEW OF THE REGULATION OF UNACCREDITED DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE.
WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that obtaining a college degree can cost tens of thousands of dollars and often represents a significant commitment of a family’s financial resources; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Education relies on, among other things, an institution’s accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency to determine eligibility for certain federal funds; and
WHEREAS, many employers require a degree from an accredited educational institution as a condition of employment; and
WHEREAS, many educational institutions will not recognize a student’s degree or credits unless the degree or credits were earned through an accredited institution; and
WHEREAS, prospective students may be unaware of the significance of an institution's accreditation status when selecting a college or university, particularly if the institution offers a degree through distance education; and
WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii is one of a small number of states that does not license, approve, or prohibit unaccredited degree-granting institutions; and
WHEREAS, unaccredited degree granting universities
and colleges that operate in the State are currently governed by Chapter 446E,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, which imposes minimal requirements on such
institutions; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Consumer Protection has been active in enforcing
Chapter 446E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, through the filing of numerous lawsuits;
and
WHEREAS, House Bill No. 1200, H.D. 2 (2013), proposed, among other things, to revise the state unaccredited degree granting institution law, Chapter 446E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by transferring oversight to the Post-secondary Education Commission; and
WHEREAS, section 26H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires the Auditor to review proposals to regulate professions, vocations, or occupations that are currently unregulated and to assess alternative forms of regulation; and
WHEREAS, although unaccredited degree granting institutions may not be traditionally considered a profession or vocation, a sunrise analysis pursuant to Chapter 26H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, may be useful in evaluating current and alternative forms of regulation; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, that the Office of the Auditor is respectfully requested to conduct a sunrise review of the regulation of unaccredited degree granting institutions, including an assessment of current and alternative forms of regulation, pursuant to section 26H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of the Auditor is requested to include in its review:
(1) An estimate of the number of unaccredited degree granting institutions currently operating under Chapter 446E, Hawaii Revised Statutes;
(2) An estimate of the number of unaccredited degree granting institutions physically located in the State;
(3) An estimate of the number of students enrolled in each unaccredited degree granting institution;
(4) A review of the level of compliance by unaccredited degree granting institutions with Chapter 446E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, including a review of the number and types of enforcement actions brought by the Office of Consumer Protection;
(5) A review of the laws governing unaccredited degree granting institutions in other states, including those state laws that require all degree granting institutions to be accredited;
(6) A review of best practices available for the regulation of unaccredited degree granting institutions;
(7) A determination of whether regulation of unaccredited degree granting institutions should also apply to online unaccredited degree granting institutions regardless of whether the institutions are:
(A) Located in Hawaii; or
(B) Located out-of-state, but enroll students who are Hawaii residents; and
(8) An examination of findings in the 1993 report of the Legislative Reference Bureau, entitled Private Accreditation and State Authorization of Degree Granting and Non-Degree Granting Limitations in Hawaii, to determine whether the recommendations in the report were carried out; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of the Auditor is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Office of the Auditor and the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
Unaccredited Universities and Colleges
