STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 266-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2911

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2911 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to enhance accountability at charter schools by requiring that they be subject to:

(1) County laws, codes, and rules governing land use and public health and safety;

(2) State land use laws;

(3) The Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA) as it relates to financial records and policies and procedures of charter schools; and

(4) Audit by the Department of Education (DOE) and the Auditor.

DOE, the Hawaii County Council, Office of the Corporation Counsel of the County of Hawaii, and Hawaii Government Employees Association testified in support of this bill. The Office of Information Practices submitted comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Clarifying that charter schools shall only be subject to county laws, codes, and rules governing land use and public health and safety to the extent that the laws, codes, and rules apply to other public schools;

(2) Specifying that charter schools shall be subject to UIPA in its entirety; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for style and clarity.

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. 2911, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2911, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

		____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair