STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1670

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 78

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 78, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Education to contract with a third-party consultant to study the adequacy of education funding in the State; and

(2) Appropriate funds to the Department of Education for the study.

The Department of Education, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus supported this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the requirement that the study review school funding studies performed in other states;

(2) Changing the amount appropriated to an unspecified amount; and

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2052, to encourage further discussion.

Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee on Lower & Higher Education respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $200,000 to the Department of Education to contract with a third-party consultant that specializes in school finance to perform a study of the adequacy of education funding in Hawaii.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 78, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 78, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair