Report Title:

General Obligation Bonds For Playground Equipment

 

Description:

Authorizes $12,000,000 in general obligation bonds for new and replacement playground equipment in public schools.

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

90

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds and making an appropriation for the department of accounting and general services.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that many of Hawaii's public schools have old and unsafe playground equipment. New federal guidelines covering the safety of playground equipment have caused many elementary schools to remove or place off limits aging swings, merry-go-rounds, and jungle gyms that fail to meet the new federal standards. Beyond replacing unsafe equipment, new playgrounds also are required to be accessible to disabled students and to include padding on the ground to cushion falls.

Most public elementary schools in Hawaii have safety problems with some playground equipment. Nationally, almost two hundred thousand school children are injured each year on unsafe playground equipment, and as many as twenty students are fatally injured.

The legislature finds that the health and well-being of all of our school children requires the prompt removal of unsafe playground equipment from our school playgrounds, the installation of new equipment that meets the federal safety guidelines, and inclusion of ground padding to cushion falls.

The purpose of this Act is to authorize the issuance of general obligations bonds and to appropriate funds for the purchase of new and replacement playground equipment for public schools.

SECTION 2. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $12,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary is appropriated for fiscal year 2001-2002 for the purpose of purchasing new and replacement playground equipment for public schools. Expenditure priority shall be given to:

(1) Older schools with unsafe equipment;

(2) Those schools with equipment open to public use after school hours and on weekends; and

(3) Schools that demonstrate a community contribution of time and money.

SECTION 3. The appropriation made for the purpose authorized in this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation that are unencumbered as of June 30, 2004, shall lapse as of that date.

SECTION 4. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of accounting and general services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.

INTRODUCED BY:

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