Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1389 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Hawaii 3R's school repair and maintenance fund and to the Department of Education for funding the Hawaii 3R's coordinator position.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the Department of Accounting and General Services, Makakilo Elementary School, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii 3R's, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the General Contractors Association of Hawaii, Durus International Corporation, America's Promise Hawaii: The Alliance for Youth, and seven individuals.

Your Committee finds that the backlog of repair and maintenance projects in public schools continues to be of concern and that all means of addressing the problem should be explored and supported. The Hawaii 3R's program is comprised of volunteer workers from the military, public schools, community organizations, and trade unions who have united under one common cause - to tackle the backlog of repair and maintenance projects in Hawaii's public schools. Since 2001, Hawaii 3R's has saved the State money by completing repair and maintenance projects at our schools that ordinarily would be done exclusively with state funds and resources. It is an extremely cost-effective program. This measure appropriates funds to support Hawaii 3R's efforts of expediting the repair and maintenance of Hawaii's public schools, including the appropriation of funds to provide for a coordinator position.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1389 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.