Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriates general revenues for the department of education's repair and maintenance projects.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. Hawaii's children deserve a quality education in a clean, safe environment. Many schools have leaky roofs, termite-infested floors, crumbling walls, and overheated classrooms. The legislature finds there is a compelling need to immediately fund the backlog of repair and maintenance projects in the public schools.

In 2001, the legislature appropriated funds to help mitigate the department of education's estimated $640,000,000 backlog of repair and maintenance projects. The current backlog of repair and maintenance projects is estimated at $525,000,000, which includes recurring major and minor repairs, ongoing cycle maintenance, service and contract maintenance, nonrecurring projects, and emergency repairs.

A breakdown of the current backlog consists of $235,000,000 on the backlog list prior to July 1, 2001, and $290,000,000 in projects added to the list after July 1, 2001.

The purpose of this Act is to reduce the backlog of repair and maintenance projects to a manageable level of $250,000,000 by 2008. In order to accomplish this, it is projected that $455,000,000 will be required in general obligation bonds and general fund revenues over the next three years.

SECTION 2. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $92,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for fiscal year 2006-2007 for the department of education's repair and maintenance projects; provided that priority be given for projects that have been on the repair and maintenance list for the longest period of time.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $60,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for the department of education's repair and maintenance projects; provided that priority be given for projects that have been on the repair and maintenance list for the longest period of time.

SECTION 4. The sums appropriated in sections 2 and 3 shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. Sums appropriated under this Act shall be in addition to any other funds that may be appropriated for the same purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. The appropriation made for the capital improvement projects authorized by section 2 of this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal biennium for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30, 2008, shall lapse as of that date.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.