STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1069

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 69

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 69 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO REPORT ON THE FEASIBILITY OF INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULA AT EACH GRADE LEVEL,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Education to report on the feasibility of including environmental curricula at each grade level.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Audubon Society and two individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committees find that Hawaii's public schools are an ideal setting in which to teach and inspire children about actions necessary to help preserve and protect Hawaii's environment.

     Your Committees note that the Department of Education's testimony that environmental education is currently embedded within the Department's standards-based system and General Learner Outcomes.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing language that requests the Department of Education to report on the feasibility of including environmental curricula at each grade level;

     (2)  Adding language that requests the Department of Education to report its progress on the incorporation of environmental curricula into its standards-based system and General Learner Outcomes to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2013;

     (3)  Amending the title of this measure to reflect its amended purpose; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 69, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 69, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair