STAND. COM. REP. NO. 996

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 986

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Housing and Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to address concerns regarding public school facilities by:

     (1)  Requiring construction and renovation of public school facilities to meet the Collaborative for High Performance Schools standards;

     (2)  Requiring replacement of old portable buildings with high performance classrooms; and

     (3)  Requiring prioritization of public school facilities projects in accordance with certain criteria.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one private organization.  Two state agencies submitted comments.  Written testimony presented to your Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees have heard a number of concerns regarding the amendments in this measure.  The measure would require all public school facilities, including renovations and projects less than 5,000 square feet, to meet the Collaborative for High Performance Schools.  The Department of Education has noted that the new language is unnecessary, given that section 196-9(b)(1), Hawaii Revised Statutes, refers to energy guidelines, and that the Department is currently incorporating the Collaborative for High Performance Schools criteria and referencing its Best Practices Guidelines for both new construction and renovation projects.

     Regarding the proposed requirement to replace portable classrooms older than twenty years, your Committees also note that the Department recommends replacing portables when their condition warrants replacement and that the Department currently has pilot projects underway to retrofit and reduce energy use in existing portables, as well as to develop an energy neutral prototype high performance classroom.

     Your Committees are supportive of increasing energy efficiency in public school facilities, both as a means of decreasing dependence on outside sources of energy and as a way of achieving cost savings for the schools.

     Your Committees have amended this measure accordingly, by:

     (1)  Deleting the proposed new language in section 196‑9(c), Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (2)  Amending section 196-9(b)(1), Hawaii Revised Statutes, to include renovation in the energy guidelines;

     (3)  Amending statute references throughout to reflect these changes;

     (4)  Amending the effective date to July 1, 2030, for the purposes of further discussion; and

     (5)  Making technical amendments.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Housing and Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Housing and Energy and Environment,

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair