THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2096
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the department of education's volunteers and partners program has achieved success in matching qualified volunteers with schools that have particular needs.  The volunteers and partners program allows volunteers to register online and sign up to assist in various school-related activities such as mentoring, coaching, advising, tutoring, campus beautification, traffic supervision, and fundraising.  The department of education has implemented the program in a few schools and is interested in expanding the program.  The legislature further finds that the technology used in the volunteers and partners program allows the department of education to monitor and track the number of volunteer hours provided, which can be used to calculate the approximate value of services provided and other quantifiable measures.

     The legislature finds that the costs of implementing the volunteers and partners program in a school are highest in the first year, due to costs related to training and technical support.  After the first year, the costs of running the program fall off significantly and most schools manage their volunteers and partners program fairly independently.  The legislature finds that the volunteers and partners program should be expanded to other schools to help students gain from the experience of those who are willing to volunteer their time and effort.

     The purpose of this Act is to make an appropriation to the department of education for expansion of the volunteers and partners program.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $                 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for expansion of the volunteers and partners program to other public schools.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  The department of education shall adopt rules, pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to effectuate the purposes of this Act, including but not limited to the method of determining the schools to which the volunteers and partners program will expand and when.

     SECTION 4.  The department of education shall submit a report to the legislature detailing information including but not limited to progress on the expansion of the volunteers and partners program to other public schools, identification of the schools that participated in the volunteers and partners program during the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, amounts of the appropriation under section 2 that were allocated to each participating school and the purpose of each allocation, statistics on the number of successful matches made with volunteers at each participating school and on the types of services volunteered and needed, and the approximate value of services volunteered and accepted by schools.  The report shall be submitted to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2011 regular session.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2010.

Report Title:

DOE; Volunteers and Partners Program; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds for the expansion of the department of education's volunteers and partners program into other schools.  Requires the DOE to adopt rules and report to the legislature on its progress.  (SD1)

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