STAND. COM. REP. 3142

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 1929

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1929, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Hawaii 3R's program.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii 3R's program is comprised of volunteer workers from the military, public schools, community organizations, and trade unions who have united under one common cause - to tackle the estimated $640,000,000 backlog of repair and maintenance projects in Hawaii's public schools.

During the past three years, the State has appropriated a total of $1,148,688 to the Hawaii 3R's program, which has leveraged the funds to acquire additional private and federal moneys to complete $5,736,000 in repair and maintenance projects. The program thus far has saved the State over $4,600,000 and has also secured $1,000,000 in federal funds for military and military-impacted schools and $1,000,000 in federal funds through the Native Hawaiian Education Act.

Your Committee also finds that state funds are critical to the program because federal funds can only be expended on qualified schools based on military status or Hawaiian populations. Without state funds, the 3R's program would be unable to assist the sixty-five other schools that do not qualify for federal assistance.

Your Committee has amended the bill by:

(1) Changing the appropriation for the coordinator position to a blank amount to promote further discussion;

(2) Changing the name of the coordinator position; and

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1929, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1929, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair