Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2704, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to recognize a single source of funding for school-level minor repair and maintenance programs.

Your Committee finds that public schools may use two sources of funding for school-level repair and maintenance projects: an account in the general fund and an account in the school-level minor repairs and maintenance special fund. Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, however, implemented the weighted student formula, which calculated funding for schools based upon certain factors. One of those factors used to calculate the weighted student formula is programs that are financed by the general fund, such as a general fund account for school-level repair and maintenance programs.

This bill removes references to a school-level repair and maintenance account in the general fund because those funds are already accounted for in weighted student formula calculations. School-level repair and maintenance projects, however, will still be addressed by individual schools through the remaining funding source--an account in the school-level minor repairs and maintenance special fund.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2704, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2704, S.D. 2.