STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2777

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2424

       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 S.B. No. 2424, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AIR CONDITIONING IN PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Education and the Department of Accounting and General Services, together with various state entities, to develop a master strategy to cool all public school facilities and conduct a comprehensive study that addresses factors such as the electrical standards needed and costs associated with furnishing and maintaining air conditioning units in all school buildings.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Department of Accounting and General Services, Hawaii State Teachers Association, the Hui for Excellence in Education Coalition, and nineteen individuals.  Written comments were submitted by two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that classroom environments influence students' academic achievement.  The correlation between poor scholastic performance at school and a lack of air conditioning in school buildings has been documented extensively in articles.

     Your Committee further finds that many of Hawaii's school buildings were not built to accommodate machines that require substantial electrical needs.  A master strategy jointly developed by different state departments and the University of Hawaii would provide the Legislature with better insight regarding the long-term costs for installing and maintaining air conditioning units in all public schools.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adding a general obligation bond authorization and appropriation section to fund efficient air conditioned classroom demonstration projects.

     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 S.B. No. 2424, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2424, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair