STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1112

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   S.B. No. 836

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 836, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve public charter schools' access to facilities by, among other things:

     (1)  Requiring state departments, when considering whether to close a particular facility, to give reasonable consideration to making all or portions of the facility available to public charter schools and pre-plus programs, as long as the facilities may be used for any other purpose that the Department of Education deems appropriate;

     (2)  Requiring state departments to identify and notify the Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, and Executive Office on Early Learning of unused facilities that may be appropriate for use for public charter schools, early learning programs, and any other purpose that the Department of Education deems appropriate;

     (3)  Requiring state departments to inventory such suitable facilities; and

     (4)  Requiring the State Public Charter School Commission and Executive Office on Early Learning to:

          (A)  Solicit applications from public charter schools and pre-plus programs that are interested in using and occupying all or portions of available facilities; and

          (B)  Submit a prioritized list of public charter schools and pre-plus programs to the Department of Education, which will make the final determination about which public charter schools and pre-plus programs, if any, will be allowed to use and occupy the facilities.

The State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and a concerned individual supported the measure.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the measure with amendments.  The Department of Education and Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended the measure by:

     (1)  Providing that it is the Department of Accounting and General Services, in consultation with the Department of Education, that determines appropriate uses of closed facilities and makes a final determination of which charter schools and pre-plus programs will be authorized to use such facilities; and

     (2)  Making conforming amendments.

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style were also made.

     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. 836, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 836, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair