STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2655

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2254

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2254 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Education to conduct a study on the feasibility of converting hard cover textbooks to e-books and report to the Legislature on the study prior to the Regular Session of 2009.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Education and one individual.  Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by one individual.

     Your Committee finds that, among other things, Hawaii's public schools currently suffer from a textbook shortage that adversely affects students' abilities to learn in the classroom and study and complete homework assignments at home.  Your Committee further finds that providing an adequate number of up‑to-date hard cover textbooks to students in public school is a costly endeavor.  Accordingly, in this new age of technology, the State must explore creative and innovative options for assuring proper learning materials are provided to our students and teachers.  One such option includes the use of e-books, or electronic books, which are text documents that have been converted to a digital format that can be accessed on computers or other electronic devices.  E-books are user-friendly and provide greater options for students, as opposed to traditional textbooks.

     This measure calls for the Department of Education to conduct a feasibility study on converting hard cover textbooks to e-books.  As represented by the Department of Education, the study will also include recommendations on options for the distribution of electronic readers, including the feasibility of providing a single reader per child, payment or cost-sharing plans for the reader by the student and the Department, and appropriate grade levels for distribution and use, that will assist the Legislature in providing suitable funding to support the conversion in the future.  Your Committee determines that this study is necessary and appropriate, as the use of e-books over traditional hard cover textbooks is a new approach for the schools and the study will allow the State to fully ascertain the costs and benefits associated with the purchase of e-books for use in public schools.

     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. 2254 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair