Informing the Legislature that on June 8, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: SB3229 SD1 HD1 CD1 (ACT 117).

2026 Regular Session

UH can spend up to $3M/year from the UH Support Fund to boost alumni relations, donor work, and private donations to the UH Foundation, with annual legislative reporting.

Received.

#act117

Bill Summary: SB3229 CD1 (Act 117) – University of Hawaii

Purpose and Intent

The bill authorizes the University of Hawaii to spend up to $3,000,000 annually (excluding in-kind services) from the University of Hawaii Support Fund to support alumni relations, donor evaluations, and the generation of private donations for deposit into the University of Hawaii Foundation.

Expenditures under this authority are for public purposes and are exempt from certain Hawaii procurement and governance controls (chapters 42F, 103, 103D, and 103F). The university must provide legislative reporting on fund use.

Key Provisions and Changes

Section 304A-2153(b) amended to increase the annual expenditure cap to $3,000,000 from the fund, for:

Promoting alumni relations
Conducting donor evaluations
Generating private donations for deposit into the University of Hawaii Foundation

Reporting requirements:

The University must submit a comprehensive report to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of each regular session.
The report must include:
Departments of the University of Hawaii Foundation supported by fund moneys
Purposes and activities of each identified department and their fundraising roles
Total expenditures by primary expense categories for each department
Transfers of fund monies to any UH fund and justification for how used
Financial summary of the UH Foundation’s operating activities (revenues and expenditures by major categories)
Amounts and purposes of all expenditures from the UH Support Fund
Donor evaluations conducted using funds

Structural notes:

Repeal, modification, or new material is reflected with standard statutory formatting (new material underscored).

Who/What is Affected

Primary Beneficiary: University of Hawaii and the University of Hawaii Foundation.

Affected Parties: UH alumni relations and development/donor relations functions, UH administration, and the Hawaii Legislature (through required reporting).

The measure governs use and oversight of the UH Support Fund (appropriations/investment fund used for private fundraising activities).

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Effective Date: The Act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Reporting Timeline: Comprehensive annual report due no later than 20 days before the start of each regular legislative session (i.e., prior to the next session each year).

Governance: Exempts fund expenditures from specified chapters (42F, 103, 103D, 103F), providing more flexible use for fundraising activities, while still requiring transparency via annual reporting.

Practical Implications

Increased flexibility for UH to nurture alumni relations and fundraising efforts with a capped annual expenditure of $3 million.

Maintains a structured reporting framework to ensure legislative visibility into fund use, governance of transfers, and donor evaluations.

Aims to strengthen private donations to the UH Foundation and, by extension, support for university programs.

If you’d like, I can provide a brief plain-language brief for stakeholders (students, faculty, donors) or a side-by-side comparison with prior law.