STAND. COM. REP. NO. 165-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2126

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2126 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR A VIRTUAL SCHOOL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure s to make an emergency appropriation to and authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds for the Department of Education to build a virtual school to allow for distance learning.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruption to the education of Hawaii's students. Due to the pandemic, schools were forced to close down and education content was delivered through many different avenues, largely through virtual and online options. Although schools are now resuming in-person education, some virtual learning should continue. The Department of Education seeks to create a virtual school to continue to provide virtual learning for students. This measure will provide the sufficient funding needed to create the virtual school and hire the necessary staff for its operations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amount and general obligation bond amount to unspecified amounts;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Should your Committee on Finance choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee on Education respectfully requests that it consider:

(1) Appropriating $2,453,917 for fiscal year 2021-2022; and

(2) Authorizing the Director of Finance to issue $2,700,000 in general obligation bonds and appropriating the same amount of funds for fiscal year 2021-2022,

for the Department of Education to build a virtual school.

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. 2126, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2126, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair