SR 25: Urging state agencies and the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law to collaborate to develop EXTERNSHIP opportunities for law students to ASSIST IN THE comprehensive review and update OF the hawaii administrative rules.

SENATE RESOLUTION

Urging state agencies and the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law to collaborate to develop EXTERNSHIP opportunities for law students to ASSIST IN THE comprehensive review and update OF the hawaii administrative rules.

     WHEREAS, the Hawaii Administrative Rules are adopted by state agencies, including executive departments, offices, boards, and commissions, to implement legislation and establish operating procedures for the agency; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii is the twenty-eighth most regulated state in the country, with 108,741 restrictive regulations in the Hawaii Administrative Rules as of 2023; and

     WHEREAS, state agencies often build upon existing administrative rules over time, contributing to a proliferation of regulations that cause inefficiencies, outdated policies, and undue burdens on businesses and residents in the State; and

     WHEREAS, while administrative rules play a critical role in the operation of state programs, research demonstrates that the accumulation of outdated regulations slows economic growth, increasing rates of poverty, unemployment, and inflation; and

     WHEREAS, it is therefore critical that the Hawaii Administrative Rules be consistently reviewed and updated to continue to serve the State's best interests; and

     WHEREAS, state agencies, however, have expressed to the Legislature that the regular revision of the Hawaii Administrative Rules would be overly burdensome under current staffing, budgetary, and operational conditions; and

     WHEREAS, law students are optimally suited to alleviate this burden by assisting state agencies in conducting a comprehensive review and update of their administrative rules through externship courses (also known as field placements) for credits that can be counted towards experiential learning required credits and special project credits; and

     WHEREAS, experiential learning courses enable law students to acquire critical professional skills through opportunities to practice in real-world or simulated settings under the supervision of qualified professionals; and

     WHEREAS, recognizing the importance of practical experience to professional success, the American Bar Association requires law students to earn at least six experiential learning credits; and

     WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law allows students to fulfill the experiential learning requirement through simulation courses, clinical courses, and externships; and

     WHEREAS, as state agencies require assistance with the labor-intensive comprehensive review and update of their administrative rules and the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law seeks new externship opportunities for its students, these entities are uniquely positioned to form a mutually beneficial partnership; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and state agencies are urged to collaborate to develop externship opportunities for law students to assist in the comprehensive review and update of the Hawaii Administrative Rules; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is requested to be the first state agency to collaborate with the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law to develop externship opportunities for law students pursuant to this Concurrent Resolution; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Comptroller; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Attorney General; Director of Finance; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Adjutant General; Director of Corrections and Rehabilitation; Chairperson of the Board of Education; Superintendent of Education; Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission; Director of Health; Director of Human Resources Development; Director of Human Services; Director of Labor and Industrial Relations; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Director of Law Enforcement; Director of Taxation; Director of Transportation; President of the University of Hawaii System; and Dean of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law.

Report Title: 

UH; DCCA; State Agencies; Hawaii Administrative Rules; Comprehensive Review and Update; Law Students; Externships