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. 2063, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

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

This measure clarifies that students, their parents, or guardians will be held accountable for the loss, damage, or destruction of school textbooks, instructional materials, library books, equipment, or supplies.

To ensure that restitution fees collected by the Department of Education for those negligent actions are used strictly for the replacement of these materials, this measure establishes a special account for depositing and expending these moneys.

Your Committee finds that existing law already allows the Department of Education to assess fees for the breakage, damage, loss, or destruction of school books, equipment, or supplies. This measure merely clarifies that any book, printed matter, or other material used in a particular course of study is subject to the application of this law. The measure also provides a direct link between the collection of restitution fees and the use of those fees to purchase replacement material.

Your Committee has amended this measure to make 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. 2063, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2063, S.D. 2.