Hawaii House Bill HCR53

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/12/26
• Refer: 3/18/26
• Report Pass: 3/31/26
• Engrossed: 3/31/26
• Refer: 4/10/26
• Refer: 4/16/26
• Report Pass: 4/23/26
• Passed: 4/24/26

Caption

Requesting The University Of Hawaii Board Of Regents To Conduct A Systemwide Associate Degree Completion Audit.

Summary

HCR53 is a House Concurrent Resolution that requests the University of Hawaii Board of Regents to conduct a systemwide audit to identify current and former students who have earned enough credits to qualify for an associate degree but never received the credential. The resolution focuses on two groups: students who transferred from a University of Hawaii community college to a four-year campus before completing an associate degree, and students who began at a four-year campus and later stopped or withdrew after accumulating sufficient credits. The resolution also asks the Board of Regents to develop recommendations, if feasible, for expanding pathways to award earned associate degrees. Those recommendations may include reverse transfer processes, improved degree audits, residency requirements, accreditation issues, and fiscal impacts. The University of Hawaii is requested to submit the audit findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature before the 2027 Regular Session.

Impact

Because this is a concurrent resolution, HCR53 does not directly amend Hawaii Revised Statutes or create a new legal requirement. Instead, it makes a formal legislative request to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, which already has exclusive authority over the university’s internal structure and operations under section 304A-105, HRS. If implemented, the resolution could lead to administrative changes in how the University identifies eligible students and awards associate degrees, and it could generate future legislation based on the audit’s findings.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment appears supportive and policy-oriented. The resolution is framed around student success, workforce development, and recognizing credentials already earned, and the available vote history shows the Senate Education Committee passed it unanimously with amendments (3-0). That suggests broad agreement on the value of examining degree completion barriers and potential reverse transfer solutions.

Contention

There is little visible opposition in the available record, but the resolution itself identifies the main issues that could require careful review: residency requirements, accreditation considerations, and fiscal impact. Those topics may be the most likely sources of debate because they affect whether degrees can be awarded retroactively, how much administrative work the audit would require, and whether the university can expand credentialing pathways without conflicting with institutional or accreditation rules.