REPORT TITLE:
School Repair Fund


DESCRIPTION:
This Act seeks to create a new "School Repair and Maintainence
Fund" to address the problem of disrepair in our public school
system.  Initial monies for the fund will be drawn from the works
of art special fund (HRSA 103-8.5) in the amount of 1/2% of the
total works of art budget designation each year for five years.
Provisions for a check off box on Hawaii state income tax returns
will allow taxpayers to designate tax dollars into the fund.  The
fund is capped at $100 million with excess reverting to the
general fund.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2383
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO A NEW SCHOOL REPAIR FUND. 


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Students cannot be expected to excel in poor
 
 2 conditions.  The president of the United States expressed this
 
 3 sentiment when commenting recently on the national issue of
 
 4 disrepair in the public school system, but it is just as
 
 5 appropriate a comment on Hawaii's public school system.
 
 6 Disrepair of schools is an obstacle to our keiki excelling in
 
 7 education, and this directly short changes our future.  There is
 
 8 wide spread public support to do something about this problem
 
 9 that is growing due to the backlog of repair orders.  
 
10      The purpose of this bill is to address this problem through
 
11 a creative use of taxpayer dollars.  By offering taxpayers a
 
12 choice to designate tax dollars to this fund in much the same way
 
13 as they do now for the election fund, we in the Legislature and
 
14 our constituents can swiftly and directly address this problem.
 
15      SECTION 2.  There is created in the treasury of the State a
 
16 special fund to be known as the School Repair Fund, into which
 
17 one half of one percent of the monies designated for the section
 
18 103-8.5 Works of art special fund shall be deposited for the next
 
19 five years.
 
20      There is to be an option on state income tax returns for
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 taxpayers to designate up to five hundred dollars of their taxes
 
 2 toward this fund.  This designation shall neither increase nor
 
 3 decrease the taxpayer's tax liability.  The director of taxation
 
 4 shall prepare such forms as may be necessary to facilitate this
 
 5 purpose.
 
 6      There is to be a one hundred million dollar limit on the
 
 7 fund, with any excess monies to revert to the general fund.
 
 8 Monies from the fund shall be expended by the Department of
 
 9 Education solely for the repair and maintainence of public
 
10 schools, in amounts appropriated in accordance with law.
 
11      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.
 
12 
 
13                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________