STAND. COM. REP. NO.  721

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1092

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1092 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL INNOVATION GRANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote innovation in public education by establishing the Public School Innovation Grants Program, through which the Board of Education can award grants to support school-level innovation.

The Office of the Governor, Governor's Every Student Succeeds Act Team, Board of Education, Executive Office on Early Learning, and several concerned individuals supported this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Eliminating the proposed use of a portion of carryover funds under section 37-41.5(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, as a source of funding for the Public School Innovation Grants Special Fund;

     (2)  Making the appropriations in unspecified sums;

     (3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2051; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     Your Committee has grave reservations about this measure, including the lack of detail regarding the Public School Innovation Grants Program and the lack of a definition for the term "innovation".  Your Committee also questions whether the Board of Education is really the proper entity to administer the Grants Program and to disburse grant awards.

     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 H.B. No. 1092, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1092, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair