STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2479

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2480

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Economic Development and Taxation, Education, and Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2480 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Amend Act 111, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, to appropriate additional funds in fiscal year 2008-2009 for the fostering inspiration and relevance through science and technology pre-academy program;

 

     (2)  Amend Act 271, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, to appropriate additional funds in fiscal year 2008-2009 to support and expand Project EAST programs; and

 

     (3)  Appropriate funds in fiscal year 2008-2009 from the federal temporary assistance for needy families program to augment funding for STEM programs and creative media education programs.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT); University of Hawaii at Manoa; the University of Hawaii's Hawaii Center for Advanced Communications; Waianae High School Searider Productions; Moanalua High School MeneMAC Learning Center; HiTech Quest; and a dozen individuals, including teachers, EAST facilitators, and students from the EAST programs on the Island of Hawaii and Maui.  Future Flight Hawaii, Hawaii Space Grant Consortium submitted comments.

 

     Your Committees have been impressed by the depth and range of programs developed through pioneering Science‑Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) efforts at the school level.  During December 2007, a number of STEM and robotics coordinators, teachers, and advocates presented information showing that the participation level has exceeded 2007 legislative targets to double the existing number of participating programs from forty-two to eighty-four.  Future Flight Hawaii, Hawaii Space Grant Consortium reported that the interest level in robotics-related programs had actually tripled since 2006-2007, and submitted a cost-breakdown of budget figures relating to a broader-based implementation of robotics-related programs for schools desiring to participate.

 

     Your Committees also note that in 2007, the Legislature provided significant support – both programmatic and fiscal – for STEM initiatives and creative media education as the most practical, hands-on means of increasing students' interest in pursuing math, science, and technology careers.  During the February hearing, your Committees requested information on projected costs and time frames for expansion of Project EAST to all public middle and high schools desiring to develop Project EAST curricula in their schools.  Additional information was requested from schools currently offering creative media programming, so that complete cost-estimates of national competition registration and travel costs, equipment and training needs could be developed.

 

     Given the large amount of new data being collected, your Committees anticipate working closely with the Senate's fiscal committee to ascertain the best means of addressing the actual costs of expanding STEM and robotics, research experiences for teachers, Project EAST and creative media programs to schools seeking to participate.  This measure and related STEM and creative media measures have positioned a number of different financing mechanisms - from general funds, to federal temporary assistance to needy families funding for certain types of after-school activities, to private sector matching funds or services, and the establishment of special funds, to maximize receipt of federal, private, and other external funding streams.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting an inappropriate reference to existing creative education programs in the proposed amendment in Act 111, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that creative media education programs refer to K-12 programs; and

 

     (3)  Appropriating an unspecified amount from general funds for K-12 creative media programs.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Taxation, Education, and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2480, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2480, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development and Taxation and Education and Human Services and Public Housing,

 

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair

 

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair