STAND. COM. REP. NO. 49

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 936

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 936 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE COLLEGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to support the revitalization of the Hawaiian language and appropriate funds for Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the University of Hawaii; Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawaii at Hilo; the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; and eight private individuals with the support from student teachers of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Ho‘okulaiwi:  ‘Aha Ho‘ona‘auao ‘Oiwi (proposed Center for Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Education).

     With the exception of its use within the Ni‘ihau community, the Hawaiian language is still on the brink of extinction.  The Hawaiian Language Immersion Program is the primary vehicle through which the Hawaiian language can be perpetuated as a living language with the creation of future generations of Hawaiian-speaking children.

     Your Committees find that it is critical to support initiatives that focus on teacher professional development, curriculum research and development, and educational leadership for the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program.  Funding will enable the Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian Language to continue to operate at the level provided by start-up grant funds and also stabilize the College's strong record of innovation and excellence.  Furthermore, additional funding will enable the College to hire new staff.

     The intent of this measure is to provide support in the preservation and perpetuation of the Hawaiian language.  Supporting the education and training of future Hawaiian language immersion teachers ensures that the Hawaiian language will continue to remain vibrant for future generations.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Replacing the blank dollar appropriation amount with $608,000, for Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian Language to obtain equity funding to hire additional staff members, and to acquire necessary tools and material to implement the program; and

     (2)  Deleting the Department of Education as the expending agency and adding the University of Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 936, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 936, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Education,

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair

____________________________ RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair