STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1205-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 3148

S.D. 2

H.D. 3

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 3148, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to expand opportunities for charter schools by establishing a five-year pilot demonstration program allowing charter schools to establish a Host Culture Charter School District and a Charter School District (Districts) as local educational agencies (LEAs) for the purpose of receiving federal funds.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Charter Schools Network, and an individual supported this bill. The Department of Education opposed this bill. The Charter School Administrative Office opposed this bill and proposed amendments. The Hawaii Government Employees Association submitted comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Listing the powers and duties of the Districts and their supervising councils;

(2) Defining a "host culture-focused charter school";

(3) Clarifying that membership in the Districts is voluntary;

(4) Specifying that the Districts may seek LEA status after one year;

(5) Requiring the Districts to submit annual reports to the Legislature;

(6) Clarifying that a charter school may only be a member of one of the Districts;

(7) Requiring at least four charter schools to join each of the Districts for the Districts to conduct operations; and

(8) Making numerous technical, nonsubstantive changes for consistency, clarity, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3148, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3148, S.D. 2, H.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

		____________________________ DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair