STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1166

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 4

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 4, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE INTERSTATE COMPACT ON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR MILITARY CHILDREN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to help ensure educational stability and transferability for the children of military personnel who transfer to Hawaii by, among other things:

     (1)  Making permanent the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children; and

     (2)  Clarifying military representation on the State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children within the Board of Education.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from Kathleen F. Berg, Hawaii State Commissioner, Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission; and Laurie Crehan, Ed.D., Quality of Life Regional Liaison, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Military Community & Family Policy.

     Your Committee finds that the mobile lifestyle of military families creates special challenges for the children of military service members.  In addition, these children often suffer the anxiety of being separated from a parent who is deployed, possibly to an area of dangerous military conflict.  This measure addresses these issues by making permanent the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which was designed to help overcome educational transition issues of children of military families and to help ease the strain on families due to deployment.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 4, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 4, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair