Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2526, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to require state and county agencies having contracts, programs, and services covered under the parental preference law, to report annually to the legislature on the effect of implementation of that law.

Section 577-7.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), relating to eliminating parental preferences in government contracts, programs, and services was enacted by Act 301, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH) 2001, and will become effective July 1, 2002. Because of the importance of maintaining the integrity of a functional family in child-rearing, your Committee on Conference believes that the legislature should be informed of the progress in implementing Act 301, SLH. The mandates of the law could be difficult to implement in the short term, but should be feasible in the long term as the internal administrative system evolves over a period of time.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by deleting "on the effect of" before "the implementation of this section", at page 3, line 3 of the H.D. 1.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2526, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2526, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.