STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3779

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1523

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1523, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BUDGET,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the fiscal biennium 2019-2021 operating budget of the Department of Education and certain programs of the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Prior to decision making on this measure, your Committee made available for public review a proposed S.D. 2 of this measure. The proposed S.D. 2 deletes the existing provisions of this measure and replaces its contents with provisions requiring the Department of Education to expend appropriated funds from its fiscal year 2020-2021 budget (EDN300, general funds) to cover the costs of devices for schools with identified needs and student populations of fifty percent or greater who qualify to receive free or reduced price lunch.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from Kamehameha Schools.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the purchase of devices for Department of Education schools whose students are economically disadvantaged will help to lessen the equity gap in access to digital education, which the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly magnified. Your Committee further finds that requiring the costs of these devices to be covered using federal moneys received by the State through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Public Law 116-136, will allow the Department of Education's existing fiscal year 2020-2021 budget to remain unaffected.

Your Committee has amended this measure by adopting the Proposed Draft and further amending the Proposed Draft by:

(1) Adding a preamble to clarify the purpose of the amended measure;

(2) Deleting references to Act 5, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, as amended, and related references to the Department of Education's existing fiscal year 2020-2021 budget;

(3) Inserting new language specifying that the costs of devices for certain Department of Education schools shall be covered using federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds;

(4) Changing the effective date to "upon its approval"; and

(5) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1523, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1523, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

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