Establishes legislative intent to authorize state government to operate bingo in Hawaii and to deposit net proceeds to the public schools heat abatement fund to expedite the air conditioning of public schools. Requires governor to appoint temporary work group to draft all necessary legislation for introduction in the 2007 regular session.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that properly educating the children of the State remains one of the most critical long-term investments in the State's future. Although blessed with trade winds, the reality is that the State of Hawaii sits squarely in a tropical zone -- south of the Tropic of Cancer. It is both unrealistic and unfair to expect our children to perform at their peak in the lethargy-inducing and sometimes unremitting heat and humidity that is part of our climate. It has long been demonstrated that humans function better and at higher performance levels in cooler temperatures found in more temperate climates. In practical terms, this means that learning facilities in public schools need to be climate-controlled, or air-conditioned.

At present, there are over two hundred schools in the State on the department of education's heat abatement list waiting to be air-conditioned. At the same time, the current funding mechanism allows for only one or two schools to be air-conditioned annually. The legislature finds that this pace is unacceptable.

The purpose of this Act is to provide a revenue-neutral and state-controlled funding mechanism to expedite the air-conditioning of the State's public schools by allowing the game of bingo and by using the net proceeds of bingo games for the purpose of funding the public schools heat abatement fund.

SECTION 2. The governor shall appoint a temporary public schools heat abatement bingo working group to develop legislative proposals to implement state-operated bingo games throughout the State, from which net proceeds are to be deposited to a new public schools heat abatement fund for the purpose of expediting the air-conditioning of the public schools in the State. The duty of the working group shall be to prepare for introduction all necessary legislation in the regular session of 2006 to meet this purpose. The working group shall convene no later than December 30, 2005, and shall complete its duties by submitting a written report, including drafts of recommended legislation to be introduced, to the governor and the legislature no later than December 31, 2006.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.