Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2054 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assist public schools in providing for textbooks and instructional materials.

Specifically, this measure allows any public school to assess and collect a textbook and instructional materials fee, not to exceed $20 from each student for each school year. This measure also establishes a special account within the Department of Education for the deposit of those fees and to be used to purchase or repair school equipment, supplies, textbooks, and instructional materials.

Your Committee finds that public schools cannot afford to replace textbooks and instructional materials that are lost, damaged, destroyed, or broken. Allowing public schools to assess fees for these items will help to relieve them of these costs while also encouraging students to respect and take proper care of the textbooks and instructional materials provided for their education.

Your Committee made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and consistency.

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. 2054, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2054, S.D. 1.