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 S.B. No. 2284, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate $391,561 to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2002-2003 to continue the safety resource officer program in the central departmental school district.

Your Committee finds that schools should be safe and caring environments, and that no student should be afraid to go to school. Students who feel threatened or unsafe cannot learn and excel, and cannot enjoy all the wonderful things that school has to offer. Students who bully, threaten, coerce, or intimidate other students, as well as administrators, faculty, and staff, need to be dealt with in a firm but fair manner.

Your Committee finds that the purpose of the safety resource officer program is to ensure a safe school environment at elementary, middle, and high schools.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the sum appropriated for the safety resource officer program to an unspecified amount.

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. 2284, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2284, S.D. 2.