STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1409

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 74

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 74 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A FINANCIAL AND PROGRAM AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S HAWAIIAN STUDIES PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a financial and program audit of the Hawaiian Studies Program of the Department of Education.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, the Kūali‘i Native Hawaiian Advisory Council of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, Ka Lei Papahi o Kahuhihewa, and thirteen individuals. 

     Your Committees find that the Department of Education established a Hawaiian Studies Program pursuant to Article X, Section 4, of the Hawaii State Constitution.  The purpose of this program is to foster an understanding and appreciation of the Hawaiian culture, history, language, values, and practices in public schools students in grades kindergarten through six.  Your Committees further find that the program is currently outdated and needs modification to ensure proper funding and allocation of resources, as well as effective instruction in Hawaiian studies, including teaching the proper respect for kupuna and makua.  This measure requests a financial and program audit of the Department of Education's Hawaii Studies Program.  Your Committees believe that a financial, program, and management audit will shed light on and help resolve current budgetary and management issues associated with the program.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Including a request for a management audit by the Auditor; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes to the title and text of the measure for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 74, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 74, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair