STAND. COM. REP. NO. 363
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: S.B. No. 1577
S.D. 1
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1577 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to fund the backlog of repair and maintenance for public schools through general obligation bonds through 2010, and to create the special funds, procedures, and positions needed to implement this initiative.
Your Committee heard testimony in support of the measure from the Department of Education, Department of Accounting and General Services, Hawaii Government Employees Association, United Public Workers, and Building Industry Association. Your Committee also heard testimony in opposition to the bill from the Department of Budget and Finance.
Your Committee finds that years of economic recession have prevented the State from doing necessary repair and maintenance work in the public schools, to such an extent that a $600,000,000 backlog has accumulated. Furthermore, new schools often enjoy state-of-the-art facilities while older schools continue to deteriorate. In favor of greater equity, and to ensure that every student in public schools has facilities that are safe and attractive, comprehensive solutions are needed to begin substantially reducing the backlog in as timely a manner as possible.
Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying throughout the measure that the Department of Education, with the assistance of the Department of Accounting and General Services, shall review the existing condition of school facilities, develop each school complex vision plan, and maintain a facilities physical and financial analysis report. Additional amendments specified that expenditures for school repair and maintenance projects shall be posted on the Internet within thirty days of the project's completion.
Your Committee has also amended this measure by:
(1) Adding duties to the business/fiscal officer positions, including data collection for the physical plant analysis report, and coordination and monitoring of custodians in accomplishing minor school-level repairs;
(2) Changing "shall include" to "may include" on the list of criteria establishing repair and maintenance priorities;
(3) Adding language to allow the comptroller to develop rules regarding projects under $100,000 exempt from chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes;
(4) Increasing the number of staff positions for Engineer IV and Inspector II; and
(5) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1577, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1577, 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,
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____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair |
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