Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1974 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to continue funding a position in the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) to coordinate public and private efforts to repair and maintain public schools.

The Department of Education, DAGS, Hawaii 3R's, Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, General Contractors Association of Hawaii, and an individual submitted testimony in support of this bill. The Hawaii Government Employees Association and Hawaii State Teachers Association submitted testimony in support of the intent of this bill.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii 3R's program was implemented last year to allow community and local businesses to become involved with school repair and maintenance and to bring in funding that wouldn't otherwise be available for these projects. Hawaii 3R's has shown that it can get needed repair and maintenance projects completed for our schools in an efficient manner, at significant savings to the State. However, for these worthy efforts to continue, the DAGS coordinator must be funded for the second year of the biennium.

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 H.B. No. 1974 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.