STAND. COM. REP. NO. 364-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 2610

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2610 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure the long-term viability of charter school facilities by:

(1) Appropriating funds as seed money for the Charter School Administrative Office (CSAO) to plan, organize, and develop a charter schools facilities fund partnership to support charter school capital improvements;

(2) Establishing a tax credit for landlords to rent or lease property to a new century charter school or its associated nonprofit organization;

(3) Authorizing the Board of Land and Natural Resources to lease to new century charter schools, public lands and buildings under the control of the Department of Land and Natural Resources; and

(4) Appropriating funds to reimburse individual new century charter schools for the rent, lease, or mortgage expenses of their facilities.

Ke Kula O Kamakau, The League of Women Voters, numerous individuals from West Hawaii Explorations Academy, and many other concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Department of Education (DOE), CSAO, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the intent of this measure. The Office of the Governor and Hawaii State Teachers Association opposed this measure. The Board of Education, Department of Taxation, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Requiring CSAO rather than DOE, through the EDN 600 program, to:

(a) Provide seed funds for CSAO to plan, organize, and develop the charter schools facilities fund partnership; and

(b) Reimburse new century charter schools for the rent, lease, or mortgage expenses of their facilities;

and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2610, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2610, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

 

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair