STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3358

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1756

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1756, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO YOUTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a standardized framework for operations and provide funding for after-school programs in public middle and intermediate schools.

Specifically, this measure:

(1)  Establishes the Resources for Enrichment, Athletics, Culture, and Health program within the Office of Youth Services;

(2)  Establishes a special fund to support the program; and

(3)  Appropriates funds for establishment of the program and one full-time equivalent position to support the program.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Department of Human Services, Office of Youth Services of the Department of Human Services, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Mililani Middle School, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, After-School All-Stars Hawaii, and Reach Out Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that many children are particularly vulnerable to negative influences during their middle and intermediate school years.  Engaging children in quality after-school programs helps ensure that they have positive alternatives to keep them on the path toward healthy and productive futures.  Your Committee believes that reaching out to at-risk youth and providing appropriate guidance supports efforts to increase graduation rates, promote healthy lifestyles, and prevent criminal activity.

     Your Committee has amended this measure to comply with recommended drafting conventions and to conform to existing style guidelines for the Hawaii Revised Statutes, by deleting the acronym REACH and instead spelling out the full name of the Resources of Enrichment, Athletics, Culture, and Health program.

     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. 1756, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1756, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair