STAND. COM. REP. NO. 647
    

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 402
                                     H.D. 2




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred
H.B. No. 402, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds for the
cooperative extension service.

     Testimony in support of the bill was received from the
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) of
the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), the Hawaii Tropical
Flower Council, and the Hawaii Export Nursery Association.

     Your Committee recognizes that as a unit of a Land-Grant
institution, CTAHR is responsible for executing cooperative
extension service programs, which are outreach activities in
agricultural and community development for the entire state.
CTAHR employs extension agents and specialists who develop and
execute science-based activities and interpret technological
knowledge for practical applications by farmers, businesses,
individuals, and communities.  Due to federal and state funding
cutbacks however, the budget for the cooperative extension
service has been severely reduced.

     To continue to sustain successful diversified agriculture
and healthy communities, CTAHR must maintain a minimum base

 
 
 
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                                 Page 2

 
personnel budget.  CTAHR is in need of the following full-time
(FTE) positions: 

     Two 4-H/youth leadership development positions
         (Oahu and Maui)                                 $100,000
     One urban horticulturist (Oahu)                       50,000
     One human resources/community leadership
         position (Hawaii)                                 50,000
     One ornamental plants/landscape maintenance
         position (Hawaii)                                 50,000
     One Fruit/vegetable position (Hawaii)                 50,000
          Total of six FTE positions                     $300,000

     Nonpersonnel budgets of cooperative extension agents and
specialists have also been reduced to such a level that CTAHR
cannot support necessary intrastate travel, project supplies, and
program activities.  CTAHR needs to increase the operating funds
of each of the 45 county-based extension agents and specialists
by $1,500 each or a total of $67,500.

     The bill has been amended by:

     (1)  Deleting the specific appropriation amounts and the
          number of positions requested and leaving them blank
          for further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes
          of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report,
your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B.
No. 402, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 402, H.D.
2, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID MORIHARA, Chair