STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2637

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 20

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Housing and Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 20 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ASSIST PUBLIC SCHOOLS STATEWIDE IN ADOPTING AND IMPLEMENTING COMPREHENSIVE CAMPUS RECYCLING POLICIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Education to assist public schools statewide in adopting and implementing comprehensive campus recycling policies.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one county agency, two private organizations, and one individual.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by one state agency.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that recycling programs provide an opportunity for the conservation of resources and significant cost savings.  Your Committees also find that schools generate large quantities of paper and other waste, and despite efforts by teachers, students, and staff at some schools to recycle, recycling services are not currently included in the Department of Education's trash pick-up contracts.  This measure is intended to focus the Department's efforts toward establishing comprehensive recycling policies and to identify what further actions are necessary to implement recycling in schools.

     Your Committees further find the proposed amendment to convene a youth task force to provide input on campus recycling policies to be productive and conducive to creating a sense of ownership and pride among students in their schools, environment, and State.  Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure as follows:

     (1)  By requesting the Department of Education to convene a youth task force comprising high school students to propose ideas and develop recommendations to be considered by the Department in the establishment of campus recycling policies; and

     (2)  By making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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 concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 20, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 20, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair