STAND. COM. REP. NO.  864-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2562

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2562 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support Hawaiian language education by establishing a task force within the Department of Education to locate potential, viable properties along the Waianae Coast, with a preference for a location in Nanakuli, on which to establish a Hawaiian language immersion school to educate students from kindergarten to grade twelve.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, for the purpose of facilitating further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2562, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2562, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair