STAND. COM. REP. NO. 372

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1145

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1145 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide for the repair and maintenance of Hawaii public schools.

     Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Makes an appropriation of $60,000, for each year of the 2007-2009 fiscal biennium for a position within the Department of Education to coordinate the public and private efforts between the Department of Education and Hawaii 3R's; and

     (2)  Makes an appropriation of $400,000, for each year of the 2007-2009 fiscal biennium as a grant pursuant to Hawaii 3R's for the repair and maintenance of public schools.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education and Hawaii 3R's.

     Your Committee finds that through the Hawaii 3R's program the State has saved millions of dollars in obtaining necessary repairs and maintenance of the State's public school facilities.  Your Committee further finds that numerous repair and maintenance needs have gone unmet due to the large backlog and limited State resources.  The Hawaii 3R's program involves local communities, including churches, union and trade associations, businesses, civic clubs, parents, teachers, and all of the military branches, in the transformation of their local schools through their hours of volunteer work.  Additionally, Hawaii 3R's obtains federal funding from various sources.  However, not all of the State's public schools qualify for federal funding, and the amount of federal funding received is not sufficient to meet the public schools' needs.

     Your Committee, therefore, finds that the appropriations made in this measure are in the public's interest and their benefits will have even greater implications, as the financial assistance will be met with volunteer power and a wide network of expertise.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1145 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

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NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair