STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1182_______

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 1475
                                     S.D. 1
                                     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 Labor and Public Employment, to which was
referred S.B. No. 1475, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SCHOOL-TO-WORK
     OPPORTUNITIES PILOT PROJECT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the efficiency of the
School-to-Work Opportunities Pilot Project (Project) by:

     (1)  Transferring administrative control of the Project from
          the Hawaii School-to-Work Opportunities Executive
          Council (Council) to the Department of Education (DOE);

     (2)  Making the Council an advisory body to the Board of
          Education (BOE) and the DOE;

     (3)  Deleting the requirement that members of the Council be
          nominated and appointed by the Governor, with the
          advice and consent of the Senate, per section 26-34,
          Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (4)  Removing the Council's power to appoint the executive
          director and staff of the Project and to adopt rules;
          and


 
 
 
 
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     (5)  Allowing the Superintendent of Education to appoint the
          Project's executive director and allow the DOE to
          employ the Project's staff.

     The School-to-Work Executive Council, the Department of
Labor and Industrial Relations, and the Department of Education
testified in support of the intent of this bill, but preferred
H.B. 522, H.D. 3.  The Hawaii Teachers Association testified in
support of the intent of this bill.  The University of Hawaii
submitted comments on this bill.  In its written testimony, the
Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii (Chamber) commented on this bill.
In oral testimony, the Chamber noted that it preferred H.B. 522,
H.D. 3.

     Your Committee finds that the Project has provided a
valuable service to our community by:

     (1)  Preparing students for productive employment;

     (2)  Diversifying their learning; and

     (3)  Promoting responsible citizenship.

In addition, the Project has been vital in creating partnerships
between businesses and educators for the creation of internships,
mentoring ventures, and other opportunities for Hawaii's youth.
Finally, the Project enables Hawaii's youth to gain the practical
experience that will help them to become productive members of
the State's workforce.

     Your Committee notes that a similar bill, H.B. 522, H.D. 3,
passed out of the House of Representatives earlier this session
after public hearings before this Committee, the Committee on
Education, and the Committee on Finance.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this
bill by deleting its substance and inserting the substance of
H.B. 522, H.D. 3.   As amended, this bill:

     (1)  Retains the independence and authority of the Council,
          by not transforming it into an advisory body;

     (2)  Allows the DOE to hire the Project's executive
          director; and

     (3)  Takes effect July 1, 1999.


 
 
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     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Labor and Public Employment that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 1475, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No.
1475, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on
Education.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Labor and Public
                                   Employment,



                                   ______________________________
                                   TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA, Chair