SB15 SD1

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that our democratic process is based upon citizen participation. The founders of our nation agreed that democracy could only be maintained though an educated and informed citizenry. The legislature further finds that Hawaii school children should understand the electoral process and possess a sense of civic responsibility that will hopefully carry forward into adulthood. It is imperative to encourage and support educational programs that will educate Hawaii's youngest citizens about state government and the state legislative process. The legislature further finds that requiring the assessment and tracking of students' development of civic responsibility will enhance educational accountability.

The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Establish a grant program in the department of education to develop K-12 lesson plans, curriculum, and other educational materials on civic responsibility; and

(2) Directly support the development of civic responsibility in students by appropriating funds for social studies textbooks; provided that each school complex provides a plan or makes a declaration to the department of education evidencing the importance of civic responsibility and lists the textbooks needed to educate students about civic responsibility; and provided further that the civic responsibility curriculum is aligned within the school complex.

SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A- Civic responsibility education grant program. (a) The department shall develop and implement a grant program to encourage civic responsibility education in public schools. Expenditures shall be subject to the allotment and expenditure plan required under section 37-34.5.

(b) Grants shall be for the purposes of funding civic responsibility education lesson plans, curriculum, and other related educational materials; provided that all materials shall be aligned within the school complex.

(c) The board shall establish and appoint the members of a grant award panel, which shall consist of at least one representative from each of the following groups:

(1) Parents;

(2) Students;

(3) Teachers;

(4) School administrators;

(5) School support staff;

(6) Businesspersons;

(7) The judiciary; and

(8) The military, whose participation shall be requested.

The panel shall also include a representative from each departmental school district among its members.

The panel shall review proposals and make recommendations to the superintendent on grant awards. Panel members shall serve for a term of two years without compensation, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the discharge of their official duties. A portion of the moneys appropriated for the grants, not to exceed one per cent, shall be used to offset the expenses incurred by the review panel.

(d) The panel shall develop a process for submitting proposals.

(e) All proposals for civic responsibility education grants shall include:

(1) A clear statement of how the proposed program will achieve the goals of:

(A) Educating students on civic responsibility; and

(B) Aligning all proposed educational materials within the school complex;

(2) A method of evaluation to determine if the program has achieved its stated goals;

(3) A detailed budget and expenditure plan, which shall include any commitment of existing funds under the school or schools' allotment toward the proposed program; and

(4) Other criteria required by the panel.

(f) The panel shall assist the superintendent in the evaluation of all grant programs under this section on a continuing basis. If an approved program fails to meet the requirements of its proposal, the panel shall recommend to the superintendent that funding for the grant shall be terminated.

(g) The superintendent shall submit a report to the legislature on the operations of the review panel at least twenty days before the convening of each regular session."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for the civic responsibility education grant program.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, to purchase social studies textbooks for schools; provided that each school complex provides a plan or makes a declaration to the department of education evidencing the importance of civic responsibility and lists the textbooks and other learning materials needed to educate students about civic responsibility; and provided further that the civic responsibility curriculum is aligned within the school complex.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	15
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII