Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 61 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request a fiscal and program audit be conducted of the Department of Education's Hawaiian Studies Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and thirteen individuals. Comments in opposition to this measure were received from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that instructors and advocates of the Hawaiian Studies Program report inconsistencies in the program budgeting, pay scales, and implementation. Your Committee finds that a fiscal and program audit would help to clarify the extent to which any of these inconsistencies exist, and identify any potential remedies thereto.

Your Committee has amended this measure by requesting that the Auditor also conduct the program audit of the program, rather than the Department of Education, merely for purposes of departmental independence; and by specifying that the fiscal audit review all moneys appropriated and expended at both the department and individual school level for maximum accuracy.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 61, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 61, S.D. 1.