STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1298

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   S.B. No. 713

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 713, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE EMERGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL WORKFORCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect Hawaii's environment and provide much-needed short-term employment in these difficult economic times by appropriating funds for the continuation of the Emergency Environmental Workforce.

     The University of Hawaii (UH) and Research Corporation of the UH (RCUH) supported the intent of this bill.  The Nature Conservancy offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Specifying that the employees of the Emergency Environmental Workforce Program (Program) shall be employees of RCUH for no fewer than 12 months, as opposed to three-month contract employees;

     (2)  Specifying that the employees shall be subject to RCUH employment policies and procedures, except for any applicable unemployment insurance coverage which shall be the responsibility of the State;

     (3)  Requiring that any procurement actions related to the Program be subject to the applicable policies of RCUH; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 713, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 713, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

JERRY L. CHANG, Chair