Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Military Affairs and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1497 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish an alternative vocational education program that allows students enrolled in eleventh and twelfth grades to opt into full time vocational programs as an alternative to regular educational programming, and to place those students within state workers' compensation coverage.

Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by the Department of Education.

Your Committees find that not all students intend to pursue post-secondary higher education. Yet these students are required to comply with all requirements necessary to achieve their high school diploma as if they were to continue on with their education. Many of these students who do not choose to continue enter the workforce without the necessary skills. An alternative vocational program in high school would prepare these students with the skills and training to become active and competitive employees immediately after graduation.

Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended the measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments and changing the effective date to July 1, 2010.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Military Affairs and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1497, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1497, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.