STAND. COM. REP. NO. 404

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 563
                                     H.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Education,
to which was referred H.B. No. 563 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HEAD START PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to assist low-income preschool
children prepare for the public school system by appropriating
funds to purchase a modular facility to provide Head Start
services to families residing in the Keaau, Kurtistown, and Mt.
View areas on the Big Island.

     The Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council and many
individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The
Office of Community Services submitted testimony in support of
the intent of this measure.

     Your Committees find that the closure of the Head Start
center in Kurtistown at the Jodo Mission due to the discovery of
high levels of lead in the building, has negatively impacted
those parents whose children are eligible to attend school there.
While operational funds are available from the federal Head Start
program to implement a local program, funding is still needed for
a facility.  An appropriation of $270,000 would be used to
purchase a modular facility, which would house four Head Start
classrooms, and serve approximately eighty families per year.


 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 404
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Replacing the appropriation with $1 for purposes of
          further discussion;

     (2)  Adding a findings and purpose section; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Human Services and Housing and Education that are
attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the
intent and purpose of H.B. No. 563, as amended herein, and
recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto
as H.B. No. 563, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on
Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Human Services
                                   and Housing and Education,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
KEN ITO, Chair                     DENNIS ARAKAKI, Chair