Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2480, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a school bus fare special fund.

Your Committee finds that currently school bus drivers collect bus fares from school children themselves. This has proven problematic in terms of accountability, identification of children who are exempt from payment, and the resultant operating deficit. Proposed administrative rule amendments would require the schools to collect the fares and then disburse them to the bus service contractors. A fund is needed for the student deposits until they can be disbursed.

Your Committee approves of this concept and has amended the bill by making the fund a revolving, rather than a special, fund.

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 H.B. No. 2480, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2480, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.