Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1010 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to transfer the responsibility for developing guidelines for the preparation and revision of functional plans from the Department of Budget and Finance to the Office of Planning.

While planning and budgeting go hand-in-hand, your Committee believes that planning decisions should determine budgeting decisions and not the other way around. This measure establishes a system of checks and balances by ensuring that functional plans are not prepared and revised merely to fit predetermined budget policies.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1010 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.