HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
79 |
TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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Requesting congress to Support full funding for the carl D. perkins vocational and technical education act.
WHEREAS, since 1917, the federal government has been continually investing in the development of our nation's youth and adults in the acquisition of skills necessary to be successful in the workforce by supporting career technical education; and
WHEREAS, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (Perkins Act) was first authorized in 1984 to provide individuals with the academic and technical skills needed to succeed in a knowledge and skills based economy by supporting career and technical education that prepares students both for post-secondary education and a career; and
WHEREAS, federal resources, through the Perkins Act, help ensure that career and technical programs are quality programs that are academically rigorous, up-to-date with the present and future needs of business and industry, and innovative to meet the changes of a dynamic workforce and industrial complex; and
WHEREAS, Perkins Act funds are provided to states that in turn allocate funds, through a specific formula, to secondary and post-secondary schools through grants that allow these schools to fund programs in career and technical education, career guidance, and professional development; and
WHEREAS, Perkins Act funding provides an ongoing investment in our nation's future and directly impacts an employer's and community's productivity and the nation's ability to compete in a global economy; and
WHEREAS, although the federal government's contribution to career and technical education amounts to nearly $1.4 billion annually, recent economic shortfalls have resulted in attempts to reduce funding for these programs; and
WHEREAS, cuts to these programs of approximately 25 percent through decreased funding to the Perkins Act have again been requested as part of the $2.4 trillion federal budget for fiscal year 2005; and
WHEREAS, this decrease in funding for the Perkins Act could have a devastating impact on the nation's ability to obtain a highly skilled and dedicated workforce through the preparation of students with the necessary academic, technical, and employability skills at the secondary, post-secondary, and adult levels that are required to succeed in today's workforce; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that this body requests that Congress support full funding for the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Hawaii's Congressional Delegation.
OFFERED BY: |
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Report Title:
Perkins Act.