The Board of Regents today was expected to authorize a public hearing on new guidelines for collecting delinquent financial loans or fees by putting a lien on tax refunds.

The board's Finance Committee yesterday unanimously approved the measure.

"Do we have the right to garnish an individual's salary?" asked board Chairwoman Lily K. Yao.

Yes, if procedures are followed, said Deputy Attorney General Harriet Lewis, the board's legal adviser.

Eugene Imai, UH senior vice president, told the board the rules are needed after the UH tried to collect from an individual who owed an undisclosed amount of money to the university.

Loopholes were found in the administrative rules that prevented the UH from collecting, Imai said.

"We had procedural problems in terms of not having sufficient language in our existing administrative rules to cover those procedures," he said.

The proposal would allow officials - as a last-ditch effort - to collect on overdue student loans, tuition or fees as well as rent for UH housing, facilities or equipment by asking the state to retain the Hawaii income tax refund or any other sum due from the state to those individuals.

Such debts also include repayments of tuition waivers in which students did not finish the semester and claims against damaged, lost or misused UH property.

A UH-appointed hearing officer would recommend board action.

If the debtor is harmed by the proposed decision, he could argue his case at an adjudicatory meeting of the regents closed to the public.