The House Finance Committee today amended House Bill 2654 authorizing the transfer of $100 million from the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund to the general treasury to maintain critical State services, according to Rep. Dwight Takamine, chair, House Finance Committee.

The committee maintained the integrity of the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund with $100 million in general obligation bonds. "The fund will retain $113 million in cash and the authorization to issue $100 million in bonds in the event of a disaster," Takamine said.

Takamine said the transferred funds are being specifically earmarked for investment in the State's most critical need areas, such as education, after school care, rural health services, human services, and public health. "Clearly, as the shockwaves of the September attacks continue to economically strain Hawaii’s working families, this is the wrong time to slash essential services," he said.

The amended H.B. 2654 directs the $100 million to be spent on items such as:

• Multi-track schooling, $863,000
• Maintain K-2 Teacher-Student ratio at 1:20, $9.4 million
• Maintain six community libraries at Aina Haina, Wahiawa, Hawaii Kai, Aiea, Liliha, Manoa, $1.6 million
• Vocational education programs, $3 million
• English as a Second Language, $3.6 million
• Hawaii Content and Performance Standards, $1 million
• Repair and maintenance of public school facilities, $2 million
• Preventative Educational Programs, $1.3 million
• Student Enrichment Programs, $2.6 million
• Hawaiian Studies and Language Immersion programs, $1.9 million
• Community-based Educational Programs, $1.1 million
• Alternative Learning programs, $1 million
• Science Education, $96,800
• Afterschool A+ Program, $467,915
• Athletic and Intramural programs, $897,000
• JROTC programs at Waiakea and Kealakehe high schools, $113,000

• Maintain current funding level at UH-Manoa, $5.2 million
• Maintain current funding level at UH-Hilo, $564,235
• Maintain current funding levels at UH-West Oahu, community colleges, $2.8 million

• Maintain general assistance payment at $418 per month, $3.2 million
• Subsidize operations at Hana Community Health Center, Molokai General Hospital, Waianae District Comprehensive Health Center, Kahuku Hospital, $$2.5 million
• Grants-in-Aid for Blueprint for Change, Parents & Children Together, Good Beginnings Alliance, Hale Mahaolu home/community-based care, $1.05 million
• Fund purchase of service contracts for emergency shelters, domestic violence, juvenile substance abuse, sex offender treatment, adult and juvenile residential shelters, $2.3 million

• Fund Civil Process Commission and rural courthouses in Ewa, Koolaupoko/Kaneohe, Waianae, Wahiawa, $2.66 million
• Fund 455 out-of-state prison beds, $7.3 million
• Funds for lease of 80 beds at Federal Detention Center, $2.6 million
• Victim/Witness Assistance programs, $454,696
• State Library security, $672,636
• Missing Child Program, $91,460

• Maintain Office of Information Practices, $146,925
• Maintain Measurement Standards Program, Department of Agriculture, $406,259
• Maintain operational subsidy for Bishop Museum, $600,789
• Fund Civil Rights Commission, $112,558
• Maintain Occupational Safety & Health Program, $112,567
• Maintain funding for State parks, including Mookini Luakini, Sand Island, Polihale, Wailea, Malaekahana, and Boiling Pots, $230,555
• Maintain Veteran Counseling Program, $402,482

The programs and services identified for funding in amended bill totals $83 million and Takamine said the remaining funds would be applied to the State's fund balance.

The measure now goes to the full House for approval.

####