STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1275

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 1931

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1931, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure the availability of a qualified workforce in Hawaii by:

     (1)  Establishing and appropriating funds for the Educational Workforce Working Group (Working Group) under the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT), to examine and address workforce and workforce-related education issues;

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Education to include in its strategic plan, plans for workforce-related needs;

     (3)  Requiring the University of Hawaii (UH) to submit a report to the Legislature on its workforce development efforts; and

     (4)  Appropriating funds for positions to assist DOE with its workforce development efforts.

     UH testified in support of this bill.  DBEDT offered comments.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the membership of the Working Group to a total of twelve members, as follows:

          (A)  Removing the two representatives appointed by the President of the Senate;

          (B)  Removing the two representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

          (C)  Replacing all the members representing UH and its community colleges with two representatives from the UH system, including its community colleges; provided that at least one represents a Neighbor Island campus;

          (D)  Replacing all the members who are principals and the vice principal with two high school principals appointed by the Superintendent of Education; provided that at least one is a Neighbor Island high school principal;

          (E)  Adding the Chairperson of the Board of Education or the Chairperson's designee; and

          (F)  Adding the Superintendent of Education, or the Superintendent's designee;

          and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1931, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1931, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committees on Labor & Public Employment and Economic Development & Business Concerns.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Higher Education,

____________________________ JERRY L. CHANG, Chair

____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair