STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1228

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1661

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1661, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve public education in the state by:

(1) Allowing the Department of Education (DOE) to carry over unencumbered appropriations, except those that fund financing agreements entered into pursuant to chapter 37D, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Requiring the department to convert principal positions to twelve-month status; and

(3) Appropriating funds to:

(a) Subsidize information systems projects;

(b) Provide for additional support personnel and training;

(c) Provide two additional data processing systems analyst IV and three additional data processing systems analyst V positions in fiscal year 2006-2007; and

(d) Continue the implementation of Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004.

DOE, the Hawaii Business Roundtable, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and many principals from public schools in the state testified in support of this bill. The Department of Human Resources Development and Hawaii Government Employees Association supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Supporting children with disabilities and their families and enabling DOE to efficiently address issues relating to providing a free, appropriate public education to children with disabilities by:

(a) Specifying the time period within which a hearing shall be requested by a parent or guardian of a handicapped child, or by the department, on matters relating to the identification, evaluation, program, or placement of a handicapped child; and

(b) Exempting the parent or guardian of a handicapped child from time limits on requesting a hearing, when the failure to request the hearing was due to the misrepresentation or withholding of information by the department;

and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1661, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1661, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________ KIRK CALDWELL, Chair		____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair