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. 2959, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve workforce training within the State's higher education system.

Specifically, this measure:

Your Committee finds that career and technical education has been a major component of the community college system of the University of Hawaii. Moreover, the community college system is the major state resource to prepare and reeducate Hawaii's changing workforce. Accordingly, your Committee finds that the community college system is ideally suited to accommodating a number of new functions in response to Hawaii's growing workforce development issues.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing every appropriation to an unspecified amount to promote continuing discussion on the issue. Your Committee also made technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

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. 2959, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2959, S.D. 2.