STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1276

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 983

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 983, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to enhance traffic safety and enable and encourage children to walk and bicycle to school by making it safer and more appealing.

     Specifically, this measure requires the Director of Transportation to 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 travel and congestion, encourage walking and bicycling, and promote health and safety around Hawaii's schools.  In implementing the Safe Routes to School program, the Director of Transportation is required to consider certain conditions, including:

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

(2)  Maximizing the participation of stakeholder groups;

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

(4)  Allocating at least ten per cent and not more than thirty per cent of federal Safe Routes to School program funds for non-infrastructure-related activities.

     The bill further requires the Director of Transportation to 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.  Finally, the Director is required to submit a report of the status and progress of the program prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010.

     Your Committee received three written comments on this measure.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that this measure, through the use of the federal Safe Routes to School grant program funds, will help to ensure the safety of students when traveling to and from school as well as reduce traffic congestion.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Clarifying that the Director of Transportation is to submit the required report to the Legislature; and

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

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

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair