Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Military Affairs and Transportation and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 1660 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to broaden the Department of Education's authority over capital improvement and repair and maintenance projects and transfers necessary functions from the Department of Accounting and General Services to the Department of Education.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Education and Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Your Committees find that Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, required the transfer of functions regarding the maintenance of school facilities from the Department of Accounting and General Services to the Department of Education. Accordingly, the Department of Education, needs to be able to manage the state educational facilities improvement special fund and capital and repair and maintenance programs. In transferring management to the Department of Education, your Committees believe that the improved coordination will reduce the backlog of public school facilities projects.

Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this measure to establish the education design and construction project assessment fund which will allow the superintendent to make assessments on construction projects. Furthermore, the effective date of section 7 was changed to July 2, 2005.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Military Affairs and Transportation and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1660, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1660, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.