STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 356-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 3108

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. 3108 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to more efficiently provide students and teachers with needed school supplies by establishing and appropriating funds for a program that gives schools the choice to create a debit card system for the purpose of purchasing school supplies when there is a shortage of supplies in the classroom.

The Representative from the 27^th District testified in support of this bill. Hawaii State Teachers Association, Bank of Hawaii, and a concerned individual supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Education (DOE) offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Removing purpose language that relates to the weighted student formula and funding for public schools;

(2) Inserting purpose language that relates to:

(a) The ability of banks to assist with the establishment of debit card system accounts; and

(b) The benefits of allowing teachers to use debit cards to purchase school supplies;

(3) Allowing the principal of each public school, rather than requiring DOE, to establish a debit card system that is based at the individual school level, as deemed appropriate by the school's academic and financial plans;

(4) Deleting the appropriation of funds for the establishment of the debit card system;

(5) Changing the effective date to upon approval; and

(6) 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. 3108, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3108, 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