STAND. COM. REP. NO.932

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 361

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 361, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WEED AND SEED PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to fund the continued expansion of the Weed and Seed program to qualifying communities in the State.

This measure also establishes a temporary interdepartmental council for the purpose of managing the Weed and Seed program and facilitating its expansion into interested communities.

Your Committee finds that the federally initiated Weed and Seed program is a successful collaborative strategy among law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, and residents to reclaim, restore, and rebuild communities.

Your Committee further finds that the program's success warrants expansion into other communities and that an interdepartmental council established in the Lieutenant Governor's office will facilitate this needed expansion. The focus of the interdepartmental council would be to assist the community in the development of a plan for sustaining the Weed and Seed strategies beyond federal designations and funding.

Your Committee is further considering a grant-in-aid to the Young Men's Christian Association of Hawaii to support and further expand Weed and Seed initiatives to be expended by the office of the Attorney General.

Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the specific amounts appropriated to facilitate further discussion on this matter, and by making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style.

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 S.B. No. 361, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 361, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair