STAND. COM. REP. NO. 78

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 1154
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education and Technology, to which was
referred S.B. No. 1154 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LIBRARY ENHANCED SERVICES
     PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to continue the Library
Enhanced Services program through July 1, 2002, past its original
sunset date of July 1, 1999.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the
Hawaii State Public Library System, Makawao Library, the Friends
of Pearl City Library, Kailua Public Library, Mountainview
Library, Pahoa Public and School Library, and over 100 Hawaii
State Public Library System employees and private patrons of the
libraries.  Testimony in support of the intent of this measure
was submitted by Information Services.

     In 1993, the Hawaii State Public Library System began an
experiment under Act 327, Session Laws of Hawaii 1993, which
designated and charged enhanced service fees for the rental of
videocassettes, a fee schedule for meeting room use, and custom
library services.  Since that time, this revenue has been
deposited into a special fund for the Hawaii State Public Library
System.

     Your Committee finds that the revenue garnered from the
Enhanced Services program has helped supplement the funding needs

 
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for new and replacement materials systemwide.  Furthermore,
because of the State's continued financial hardships and
inability to provide increased support to the libraries, your
Committee believes that the Library's Enhanced Services program
is an innovative and necessary initiative.  The people of this
State have accepted the practice that users of certain services
pay for these services, and indeed prefer this program to the
raising of taxes.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education and Technology that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 1154 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 
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