CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 39

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    H.B. No. 983

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 983, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to enhance traffic safety, especially around Hawaii schools by requiring the Director of Transportation to:

(1)  Provide federal Safe Routes to School program funds for school-based and community-based workshops and infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects that will reduce vehicular traffic and congestion, encourage walking and bicycling, and promote health and safety around Hawaii's schools, in consultation with the Department of Education, Department of Health, and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools;

(2)  Consider certain conditions in implementing the Safe Routes to School program, including:

(A)  Creating and filling a permanent, full-time Safe Routes to School coordinator position;

(B)  Maximizing the participation of stakeholder groups;

(C)  Training volunteer facilitators, potential grant requestors, and stakeholder groups; and

(D)  Allocating at least ten percent and not more than 30 percent of federal Safe Routes to School program funds for non-infrastructure-related activities;

(3)  Develop a streamlined process for the federal Safe Routes to School grant program that meets federal and state requirements, simplifies the application process, and expedites release of funding; and

(4)  Submit a report of the status and progress of the program prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010.

     Traffic congestion continues to increase around Hawaii's schools.  This, in turn, causes parents, who worry about the safety of their children, to drive their children to school, causing even more congestion around schools and increasing safety risks for students.  Providing Safe Routes to School Program funds for school-based and community-based workshops, infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects to promote alternative methods of transportation to school, and streamlining and simplifying the grant process for these funds, will not only alleviate traffic congestion but increase student safety.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by changing its effective date to July 1, 2009.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 983, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 983, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair	____________________________ JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Co-Chair
____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Co-Chair	____________________________ LYLA B. BERG, Co-Chair
____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair	____________________________ KAREN LEINANI AWANA, Co-Chair