STAND. COM. REP. NO. 720

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 80

       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. 80, 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 increase the pool of qualified teachers available to teach in the schools in the State.

     Specifically, this measure creates the Felix stipend revolving fund for the collection of stipend repayments for University of Hawaii students who have breached their contractual agreements under the Felix consent decree recruitment and retention program and provides funding for stipends for other students under the recruitment and retention program.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii, College of Education.  Comments in opposition were received from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     Your Committee believes that this measure not only recovers moneys from those who have violated their stipend contracts but also makes use of moneys in the new fund for stipends to other students to enhance recruitment and retention of qualified teachers for the State's schools.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date of this measure to July 1, 2040 to facilitate further discussion.  Your Committee has also made technical nonsubstantive amendments 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. 80, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 80, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair