STAND. COM. REP. NO.  236

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 483

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 483 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to help teachers provide a high-quality public education to our children by:

 

     (1)  Streamlining the process by which teachers can purchase necessary school supplies and other curriculum support supplies; and

 

     (2)  Providing teachers with flexibility for their purchases.

 

Specifically, this bill allows the principal of each public school to establish and use a debit card system for the purchase of school supplies and other related curriculum support supplies.

 

     The Hawaii State Teachers Association testified in support of this bill.  VISA, Inc., supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Education opposed this bill.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 483 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair