STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2158

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3103

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 3103 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STUDENT TRAVEL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to assist the Department of Education with its student travel program.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that educational travel provides an important benefit to Hawaii's students.  For some students, educational trips are the only opportunity that they have to experience the world outside of their home island.  In past years, teachers have researched and organized educational travel on their own time and paid for their own travel expenses so that they can accompany, supervise, chaperone, and guide their students.  Due to the beneficial effect that educational travel has on students, the Department of Education should be provided with resources to support teachers in making educational travel available.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an appropriation amount of $405,000.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3103, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3103, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair