Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1661, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assist in the further implementation of Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, and allow the Department of Education to carry over unencumbered appropriations.

Specifically, this bill allows the Department of Education to retain the full amount, rather than five per cent, of appropriations at the close of a fiscal year, and the retained funds will not lapse until June 30 of the first fiscal year of the next fiscal biennium. This bill further appropriates $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2005-2006 and $8,000,000 in fiscal year 2006-2007 to the Department of Education to subsidize informtion systems projects, provide additional support personnel and training, provide two data processing systems analyst IV and three data processing systems analyst positions in fiscal year 2006-2007, and to continue implementation of Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004.

Your Committee finds that this bill will assist the Department of Education to continue to implement the goals and objectives under Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004. Your Committee believes, however, that the Department of Education can assist in achieving these goals by taking steps to convert principal positions to twelve-month status, or if not feasible, report to the Legislature why not.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1661, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1661, S.D. 2.