STAND. COM. REP. NO. 434

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 15

       S.D. 1

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. 15 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a grant program in the Department of Education to develop K-12 lesson plans, curriculum, and other education materials to promote civil responsibility.

     This measure also appropriates funds to the Department of Education for the grant program and for social studies textbooks.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

     Your Committee finds that it is important for Hawaii's students to understand the basic concepts of civic responsibility, including the knowledge of the fundamental process of American democracy, to allow them to fully participate in the democratic process.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adding a representative from the Judiciary to the membership of the grant award panel and by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and style.

     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. 15, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 15, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair