STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2234

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3126

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Transportation and Energy, to which was referred S.B. No. 3126 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Provide for air conditioning, heat abatement, and related energy efficiency measures at public schools by authorizing a loan from the green infrastructure loan program to the Department of Education and the Department of Budget and Finance; and

     (2)  Make appropriations for expenditure of the borrowed funds, additional capital improvements, and the initial loan repayment.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Renewable Energy Action Coalition of Hawaii; Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority; Blue Planet Foundation; and Hawaii State Teachers Association.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

     Your Committees find that overheating in school classrooms causes serious health risks to teachers and students.  Air conditioning and other heat abatement measures are necessary in public school classrooms throughout the State not only to minimize health risks, but also to provide an appropriate learning environment.  In order to mitigate the costs of air conditioning and heat abatement, energy efficient lighting and other energy efficiency measures will also be necessary.

     Your Committees further find that, in order to have as many effective heat abatement measures as possible in place before the hottest months, this project must proceed quickly.  A source of immediate funding exists in the green infrastructure loan program.  Through that program, funds can be loaned to the Department of Education and the Department of Budget and Finance at affordable rates.  Your Committees note that issues exist concerning repayment of the monies loaned, and also that if your Committee on Ways and Means considers this measure for passage, it is better equipped to address those issues.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting language suggested by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to ensure consistency with the statutorily approved uses of the green infrastructure loan program; and

     (2)  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 Transportation and Energy that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3126, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3126, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair