STAND. COM. REP. NO. 425

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1307

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 1307 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF COMBINING THE RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND GENERAL SERVICES WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON THE ISLANDS OF KAUAI, MAUI, MOLOKAI, LANAI, AND HAWAII ISLAND,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Department of Education to determine the feasibility of combining the resources and organization of the Department of Accounting and General Services with the Department of Education on the islands of Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Hawaii island.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services and two individuals.

Your Committees find that many of the public school facilities throughout the State are in need of repair and maintenance. Currently, the Department of Accounting and General Services is tasked with facility maintenance and support services for neighbor island state buildings, state libraries, and schools. This measure looks at the feasibility and potential benefits of consolidating resources for providing services and maintenance for neighbor island schools to ensure that public school facilities throughout the State are maintained in a timely and efficient manner.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a blank appropriation amount for the Department of Education Office of School Facilities and Support Services to determine the feasibility of combining the resources and organization of the Department of Accounting and General Services with the Department of Education on the neighbor islands; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1307, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1307, 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 Government Operations,

________________________________ LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair