Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1329 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize issuance of general obligation bonds to qualify the Department of Education's statewide projects for financing under the qualified zone academy bond program.

The Department of Education submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure.

Your Committee finds that the qualified zone academy bond program was created to help school systems collaborate with business partners to renovate state and school district properties to support educational initiatives that will ensure that students are prepared to be competitive in today's global economy. Existing business partners have committed their support to this endeavor and other businesses have expressed strong interest in supporting this effort.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the expending agency from the Department of Accounting and General Services to the Department of Education so that the funds may be used for equipment, instructional materials, and professional development as detailed in the qualified zone academy bond program, in addition to financing the renovation and repairs for qualified zone academies.

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 S.B. No. 1329, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.