STAND. COM. REP. NO. 424

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 316
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No.
316 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ARTS EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to promote arts education by
authorizing expenditures from the Works of Art Special Fund to be
used for art education, including strengthening arts curricula.

     While noting that it has been a strong advocate for the need
of arts education in the public schools, the State Foundation on
Culture and the Arts (SFCA) testified that revenues to the Works
of Art Special Fund (Fund) are derived from general obligation
bonds, and that using the Fund to strengthen arts curricula in
the public schools is not allowed by bond covenants.  

     In its written testimony, the Department of Education (DOE)
concurred with the intent of the bill.  In supplementary oral
comments, DOE testified that the Hawaii content and performance
standards in all areas, including the arts, should be refined.
The DOE also testified that a plan to achieve those standards
also should to be developed.

     Testifying in support of the bill, Calabash Hawaii, a
nonprofit arts education organization expressed that it was
encouraged by the Legislature's recognition of the need to have
content and performance standards for the arts.  Calabash Hawaii
recommended the consideration of providing the SFCA with the
necessary funds to complete the content and performance standards
for the arts.

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 424
                                 Page 2

 

     Also in support of the measure, the Hawaii Alliance for Arts
Education, another nonprofit agency, endorsed the review,
revision, and implementation of the Hawaii content and
performance standards for the arts.  It also supported the
development of a statewide plan for grades K-12 arts education to
be accomplished by the SFCA in consultation with various public
and private agencies.

     In consideration of the testimony presented, your Committee
would like to redirect the bill, while maintaining its emphasis
on arts education.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended the bill by deleting
its contents and replacing it with material that:

     (1)  Requires the SFCA, in consultation with the DOE and
          other relevant public and private agencies, to review,
          revise, and complete the Hawaii content and performance
          standards in the arts for grades K-12;

     (2)  Requires the SFCA, in consultation with DOE and other
          relevant public and private agencies, to develop a
          statewide strategic plan for grades K-12 arts education
          that incorporates the Hawaii content and performance
          standards in the arts;

     (3)  Requires the SFCA to submit annual reports for six
          years to the Legislature on these efforts; and

     (4)  Appropriates $150,000 for each year of the fiscal
          biennium 1999-2001 to the SFCA for these activities.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
316, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the
Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as H.B. No.
316, H.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Education,



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair