Requires the University of Hawaii System to develop, implement, and maintain a publicly accessible, systemwide online dashboard. Requires the dashboard to include and maintain relevant information needed for students and, the official text

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2158

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1

C.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the university of
Hawaii system is experiencing sustained enrollment declines, demographic
shifts, workforce shortages, and increasing fiscal pressures and this is a
matter of statewide concern pursuant to article X, section 6, of the Hawaii
State Constitution, that requires careful stewardship of public higher
education resources.

The legislature further finds that
informed institutional planning and rightsizing require transparent,
consistent, and comparable data on academic programs, including student demand,
completion, cost, and post-graduation outcomes.
While the university of Hawaii conducts internal program reviews, the
availability and consistency of program-level data across campuses varies and
is not readily accessible to students, policymakers, or the public.

The legislature also finds that
students and their families increasingly require clear, accessible, and
comparable information to make informed decisions regarding educational
pathways, including the total cost of attendance, time to completion, and expected
post-graduation outcomes.

The purpose of this Act is to
improve transparency and data availability primarily to support students and
their families in  making informed
decisions regarding educational pathways and outcomes, while also supporting
evidence-based institutional planning, program review, and rightsizing of the
university of Hawaii system, and respecting the constitutional authority of the
board of regents over internal structure, management, and operation of the
university.

SECTION 2.  Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part I, subpart A, to be appropriately
designated and to read as follows:

"§304A-   Program level transparency; dashboard; reports.  (a)
The university of Hawaii shall develop a systemwide data inventory and
implementation plan for a publicly accessible online dashboard intended
primarily to provide students and their families with clear, comparable, and
actionable information regarding academic programs, including cost, time to
completion, and post-completion outcomes.

(b)  No later than December 1, 2026, the
university of Hawaii shall submit to the legislature a preliminary report that
includes:

(1)  A comprehensive
inventory of existing data elements available across all campuses;

(2)  Identification
of gaps in data collection and data infrastructure;

(3)  Standardized
definitions for key data elements;

(4)  A phased
implementation roadmap for the development of the dashboard, including
timelines, methodologies, and priorities; and

(5)  A proposed list
of data elements to be included in the dashboard.

(c)  Based on the implementation roadmap developed
pursuant to subsection (b), the university of Hawaii shall develop, implement,
and maintain a publicly accessible, systemwide online dashboard.  The dashboard shall be designed with students
and their families as the primary audience and shall prioritize clarity,
usability, and relevance to decision-making.

(d)  The dashboard shall include data elements as
determined by the university of Hawaii pursuant to subsection (b)(5), which may
include:

(1)  Total cost of
attendance over time;

(2)  Median time to
degree or completion;

(3)  Student
retention and completion rates;

(4)  Post-completion
outcomes, including employment status, median earnings, and enrollment in
further education; and

(5)  Any other
information deemed relevant to student decision-making.

(e)  The university of
Hawaii may include additional program-level data elements to support
institutional planning and policymaking purposes, including but not limited to
cost, capacity, and instructional metrics; provided that the inclusion of such
information does not detract from the primary student-facing purpose of the
dashboard.

(f)  All data reported
pursuant to this section shall be presented in a manner that protects student
privacy and complies with applicable state and federal laws.

(g)  No later than
December 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the university of Hawaii shall
submit a report to the legislature that includes:

(1)  Progress on the
implementation and operation of the dashboard;

(2)  Any updates to
data definitions or methodologies;

(3)  Systemwide
trends in enrollment, completion, and post-completion outcomes; and

(4)  How data is
being used to inform institutional planning and decision-making, including but
not limited to decisions to continue, redesign, consolidate, suspend, or
terminate academic programs.

(h)  The university of
Hawaii shall submit a supplementary report to the legislature no later than twenty
days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2031.  The supplementary report shall include
findings assessing the relevance, effectiveness, and alignment of the dashboard
with its intended purpose, as well as any proposed legislation.

(i)  The university of
Hawaii shall incorporate the data developed pursuant to this section into the
board of regents' existing academic program review, planning, and
prioritization processes."

SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval;
provided that this Act shall be repealed on June 30, 2031.