STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1008

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1932

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1932, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide safe and well maintained educational facilities for students in our public schools and the University of Hawaii.

Specifically, the measure:

(1)  Appropriates general revenues and authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds for repair and maintenance projects at the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii;

(2)  Appropriates funds for land and facilities for early childhood education programs;

(3)  Requires the Department of Education to prepare suitable empty classrooms to be used for early childhood education programs; and

(4)  Requires the Department of Education to inspect early childhood education facilities at least annually to ensure safe and clean facilities.

     The University of Hawaii submitted comments in support of this measure and the Department of Education offered comments in support of Part I.

     Your Committee finds that there is an estimated backlog of $341,000,000 in repair and maintenance projects at the Department of Education and an estimated backlog of $165,000,000 at the University of Hawaii.

     Additionally, your Committee finds that there is a great need for additional early childhood education facilities and efforts should be made to meet the demand for early childhood education programs.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Requiring that the proceeds of bonds issued under section 3 of this bill be deposited into the state educational facilities special fund, and adding a new section to appropriate moneys out of the special fund for department of education repair and maintenance projects;

(2)  Requiring the Department of Human Services, which already conducts inspections of early childhood education facilities, to report that information to the Department of Education, thereby preventing duplicative inspection efforts.

(3)  Adding a severability clause to ensure the validity of other sections of the bill should any section be held invalid for any reason;

(4)  Changing the sums appropriated to unspecified amounts to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(5)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, 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. 1932, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1932, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair