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. 1090, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to consolidate responsibility for the establishment of literacy and lifelong learning programs in the Board of Education through the State Librarian.

This measure accomplishes this by repealing the literacy trust fund established as a separate fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, and the advisory alliance for literacy and lifelong learning. This streamlines the entire literacy and lifelong learning programs under one office, that of the State Librarian.

Your Committee finds that education should continue through and past formal schooling. Libraries for decades have provided lifelong learning opportunities in this country because books have been made available free to all citizens from the days of Andrew Carnegie. Today, not only books, but also books on tape, videotapes, computer access, records, and many other educational tools are available to our residents. Our State has always encouraged and promoted literacy programs. By placing the literacy and lifelong learning program into the Office of the State Librarian, your Committee finds that federal funds available through the Elementary School Education Act will more easily dovetail with the mission of the library system.

Your Committee has made technical, nonsubstantive changes to this bill.

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. 1090, S.D. 1 as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1090, S.D. 2.