STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2376

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2420
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education and Technology, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2420 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to add a new chapter to
Hawaii Revised Statutes to establish a new economy technology
scholarship act.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from the
Governor's Special Advisor on Technology Development, Department
of Accounting and General Services, State Postsecondary Education
Committee, High Technology Development Corporation, Workforce
Development Council, Hawaii Technology Trade Association, and
Hawaii Educational Networking Consortium.

     Your Committee finds that the general demand for computer
literate workers in all businesses is unmet by the various short
term courses that are currently available.

     Your Committee agrees that the new economy technology
scholar program should be established to provide incentives for
Hawaii students to pursue higher education and training in
science and technology fields that are essential to economic
development of this State.

     The State Postsecondary Education Commission testified that
additional staff would be required to develop and administer the

 
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program.  As an alternative, the current financial assistance
staff at the University of Hawaii would be able to administer the
program if scholarship recipients were required to enroll within
the University of Hawaii system.

     Your Committee made technical, nonsubstantive amendments to
the measure for clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education and Technology that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2420, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2420,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 
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