Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2518 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make a $1,500,000 appropriation to Hawaiian language immersion programs.

Your Committees received testimony in support of the measure from the Senator of the 23^rd district, the Department of Education, Office of Hawaii Affairs, Hawaiian Political Action Council of Hawaii, Ho‛okipa Network - Kauai, Waikiki Hawaii Civic Club, four parents of Hawaiian immersion students, and an individual. Your Committees also received a petition in support of the measure signed by nine individuals.

Your Committees find that, according to the state constitution, Hawaiian is one of the two official languages of Hawaii. For this reason and many others, not least among them being respect for the host culture of these islands, efforts to support the propagation of Hawaiian language and culture should be nurtured.

Your Committees have amended the measure by eliminating any specific appropriation figure.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2518, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2518, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.