STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1077

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1630

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation, to which was referred H.B. No. 1630, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds into the Hawaii 3Ts School Technology Laboratories Fund to maintain the Project EAST program in existing schools and to expand the program to schools statewide.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; High Technology Development Corporation; Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii; Maui Economic Development Board; Hawaii State Teachers Association, and Ho‘ike Technology.

     Your Committee previously heard and approved S.B. No. 897, which is a comparable measure.

     Your Committee has heard that Project EAST students from Hawaii schools have just returned from a national competition, where they received numerous awards in a wide range of projects.  Your Committee commends these students and remains strongly supportive of this measure and the educational and workforce development opportunities it provides for Hawaii's public school students.

     Your Committee has amended the appropriation language by:

     (1)  Adding a section to appropriate funds out of the Hawaii 3Ts School Technology Laboratories Fund; and

     (2)  Clarifying that the Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii is the expending agency, in accordance with section 302A‑1314, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1630, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1630, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Taxation,

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair