STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2112

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2482

       S.D. 1

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. 2482 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAI‘I INSTITUTE OF MARINE BIOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to extend the lapse date of the funds provided for the planning, design, and construction of a modern laboratory and office complex on Coconut Island for the University of Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the University of Hawaii System.  Comments on the measure were also submitted by the Department of Budget and Finance.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) is a research institute of the School of Ocean and Earth Science Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  The HIMB represents a world-renowned research institute situated on Coconut Island in Kaneohe Bay.  Funding to support the planning, design, and construction of a modern laboratory and office complex for the HIMB on Coconut Island was provided by the Legislature pursuant to Act 160, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006.  Unencumbered portions of these funds are scheduled to lapse on June 30, 2008; however, an extension for using these funds is necessary.  This measure extends the lapsing date for unencumbered funds appropriated by the Legislature in 2006 for the HIMB to June 30, 2010.  Your Committee believes that continued support for the HIMB is necessary to ensure sustained research opportunities that benefit marine life and ecosystems.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity.

     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. 2482, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2482, 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