CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 117-04
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2004
RE: S.B. No. 214
S.D. 3
H.D. 2
C.D. 1
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2004
State of Hawaii
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2004
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 214, S.D. 3, H.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,"
having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.
The purpose of this measure is to require Leeward Community College to develop pilot programs in Waipahu and Kalihi for the provision of services to the immigrants from the Freely Associated States—the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia, to assist them in being assimilated, educated, trained, and prepared for gainful employment. This measure also provides for the appropriation of funds from the general fund for the establishment of the pilot programs.
Your Committee on Conference finds that a great influx of Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan immigrants has occurred over the past few years; however, the community has been unable to provide adequate services to these immigrants in order to assist them in assimilating and becoming gainfully employed members of the community. The problem extends from the very young, who are lacking proper educational and language services, to adults, who are ill-equipped to obtain employment due to a lack of language skills, education, and training.
Your Committee on Conference determines that Leeward Community College, an institution committed to the betterment of diverse ethnic populations, is the ideal institution for developing and administering a program to provide comprehensive services to the Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan communities. Furthermore, areas on Oahu which require particular attention include Waipahu, Kalihi, and the Downtown-Lunalilo corridor, where the number of these immigrants is much higher. These areas require pilot programs to provide comprehensive services to the greatest number of Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan immigrants for the betterment of the their quality of life, as well as the development of a skilled workforce that need not become dependent upon public assistance.
Unfortunately, your Committee on Conference also determines that current fiscal constraints prohibit the appropriation of State funds for this measure. Therefore, alternate funding sources must be ascertained and utilized by Leeward Community College to develop and implement the pilot program.
Upon further consideration, your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:
(1) Authorizing, rather than requiring, Leeward Community College to develop a program to provide services to the Freely Associated States citizens;
(2) Clarifying that the service areas where Freely Associated States citizen populations necessitate services include Waipahu, Kalihi, and the Downtown-Lunalilo corridor;
(3) Deleting the appropriation of funds from the general fund for purposes of the Act;
(4) Including language which prohibits Leeward Community College from using general funds otherwise allocated to itself and requiring the program to instead be funded by private contributions or federal funding that is sought solely for the purposes of the Act;
(5) Clarifying that Leeward Community College is required to submit a report to the Legislature indicating the status of the development of the program; and
(6) Making the Act effective upon approval, rather than on February 31, 3004.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 214, S.D. 3, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 214, S.D. 3, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair |
____________________________ BRIAN KANNO, Co-Chair |
|
____________________________ K. MARK TAKAI, Co-Chair |
____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Co-Chair |
|
____________________________ DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Co-Chair |
____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Co-Chair |
|