STAND. COM. REP. NO.  510-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   H.B. No. 2963

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2963 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FROM THE EMERGENCY AND BUDGET RESERVE FUND FOR EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to help address the loss of instructional days for Hawaii's schoolchildren by making an emergency appropriation from the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund to provide the funding necessary to convert furlough days into instructional days.

     The Hawaii State Teachers Association and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Hawaii County Office of Aging, AARP Hawaii, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and many concerned individuals opposed this measure.  The Governor's Administration, Department of Education, Department of Budget and Finance, National Association of Social Workers, PHOCUSED, and Child and Family Service provided comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2963 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair