STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3539

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 52

       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 Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.R. No. 52 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ENSURE RECOGNITION OF CERTAIN RIGHTS OF PARENTS OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN REFERRED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to urge the Department of Education to inform the parents of children who have been referred for special education services of certain rights, and to ensure recognition thereof.

     Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Education.  Written comments on the measure were submitted by the Special Education Advisory Council, which stated, among other things, that the measure was unnecessary.

     Your Committee finds that, in light of the testimony submitted, this measure was not necessary in its original form, and could be used as a vehicle to promote asset-building in the State.  In this regard, S.B. No. 2839 was introduced this legislative session to establish a Public Financial Education and Asset-Building task force to develop policy recommendations to help Hawaii's families achieve financial goals.  However, S.B. No. 2839 was not returned to the Senate by the House of Representatives.

     Your Committee proposed a new draft of the measure that reflected the contents of S.B. No. 2839, and held a public hearing thereupon.  Testimony in support of the proposed draft was submitted by the Department of Education, Aloha United Way, the Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development, the Hawai‘i Council on Economic Education, the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i, and the National Association of Social Workers Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that the cost of purchasing a home, pursuing post-secondary education, and starting a business in Hawaii is becoming prohibitively expensive for many residents.  Additionally, community education and policies geared toward asset-building would help lower- and middle-income families achieve greater financial independence that would, in turn, help to promote stability throughout various sectors of the state economy.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its contents with language from S.B. No. 2839 that establishes a Public Financial Education and Asset-Building task force to be convened by the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Human Services and Public Housing and the House Committee on Human Services and Housing.  The purpose of the task force is to develop policy recommendations regarding universal, matched savings accounts for newborns, statewide standards for financial and economic education for public- and private-sector employees, and the elimination of asset limits as a bar to eligibility for public benefit programs.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 52, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 52, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair