STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1500

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1661

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1661, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve public education in the state by:

(1) Allowing the Department of Education (DOE) to carry over unencumbered appropriations, except those that fund financing agreements entered into pursuant to chapter 37D, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Requiring DOE to convert principal positions to twelve-month status;

(3) Appropriating funds to:

(a) Subsidize information systems projects;

(b) Provide for additional support personnel and training;

 

(c) Provide two additional data processing systems analyst IV and three additional data processing systems analyst V positions in fiscal year 2006-2007; and

(d) Continue the implementation of Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004;

and

(4) Supporting children with disabilities and their families and enabling DOE to efficiently address issues relating to providing a free, appropriate public education to children with disabilities by:

(a) Specifying the time period within which a hearing shall be requested by a parent or guardian of a handicapped child, or by DOE, on matters relating to the identification, evaluation, program, or placement of a handicapped child; and

(b) Exempting the parent or guardian of a handicapped child from time limits on requesting a hearing, when the failure to request the hearing was due to the misrepresentation or withholding of information by DOE.

DOE, Hawaii Business Roundtable, and Hawaii State Teachers Association testified in support of this bill. The Department of Human Resources Development supported this bill in part.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Deleting the provision allowing DOE to carry over unencumbered appropriations, except those that fund financing agreements entered into pursuant to chapter 37D, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2010, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1661, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1661, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

____________________________

DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair