THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1120

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATED TO THE ECONOMY.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


PART I

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that economic growth to benefit all Hawaii residents will require enhancing the State's human resources; and with respect to job creation in high-paying industry sectors, it means that Hawaii must closely track key growth areas within the State's economy and align its residents' skill sets with the needs of businesses in these emerging industries.

     For example, the department of business, economic development, and tourism's "2010 Update Report on Hawaii's Targeted & Emerging Industries" identified the following areas as "high‑performing" in comparison with national and local growth trends:  scientific research and development (averaging 5.2 per cent job growth between 2002-2010, or nearly 3.3 per cent higher than growth of the same industry group nationally), medical testing, aquaculture, performing and creative arts, specialty health care, business consulting, design services, technology manufacturing, and computer services.  These high‑performing jobs in emerging sectors accounted for roughly 69,600 jobs (nine per cent of all civilian jobs in 2010), but the sectors generated twenty per cent of the total gain in jobs for Hawaii's civilian economy, or about 15,000 new jobs between 2002-2010.  For about half of the high-performing sectors, the average annual earnings exceeded $50,000 in 2010.  While other emerging industry sectors may not have demonstrated the same degree of high-performance growth as the above areas, most of the emerging industries target clusters are growing at rates that are higher than other industry sectors within the State.

     Since 2007, the legislature, department of business, economic development, and tourism, University of Hawaii, and various educational stakeholders have undertaken a pilot demonstration project to evaluate the impact of experiential learning initiatives in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and creative media, pursuant to appropriations in Acts 111 and 271, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, and federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding during 2009-2010.  In 2010, House Concurrent Resolution No. 297, S.D. 1, C.D. 1, further requested a report on the economic value of expanded workforce development capacity and STEM initiatives prior to the start of the 2011 legislative session.

     Hence, the purpose of this part is to:

     (1)  Provide a permanent funding source for STEM experiential learning initiatives that have yielded strong student performance outcomes and expanded the reach of the program through teacher-driven efforts;

     (2)  Provide recommendations to maximize the benefits of STEM and creative media experiential learning initiatives (e.g., expanded participation throughout Hawaii's public and private schools, opportunities to leverage public-private resources in broadening the reach of innovative experiential learning programs throughout the State);

     (3)  Improve the quality of teaching in STEM fields at Hawaii's public schools by providing professional development opportunities for practicing teachers, as well as attracting highly qualified individuals who hold degrees in these subject areas to the teaching profession; and

     (4)  Better align the State's workforce needs for economic growth in new industry clusters through annual reporting requirements for the State's emerging industries in conjunction with the allocation of necessary resources into experiential learning initiatives within the University of Hawaii, department of education, and other business development and education partners.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to:

     (1)  The University of Hawaii to implement the requirements of sections 304A-1861, 304A-1862, and 304A-1863, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

     (2)  Require the University of Hawaii, department of education, Robotics Organizing Committee, and STEM demonstration project stakeholders to provide outcome measures for expansion of the FIRST Pre-Academy approach to all public middle schools, if requested; and to identify where STEM and creative media experiential learning programs can significantly impact student performance outcomes in public high schools.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this part.

PART II

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to be deposited into the Hawaii 3Ts school technology laboratories fund established pursuant to section 302A-1314, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the Hawaii 3Ts school technology laboratories fund the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 for the STEMworks project-based, service learning model that combines project-based, high end software access and creative and digital media, pre-engineering hardware and design components; provided that the University of Hawaii, department of education, and other STEMworks demonstration stakeholders shall provide outcome measures for utilization of the updated STEMworks approach in       additional schools throughout the State, and identify where STEMworks project-based learning programs can significantly impact student performance outcomes in public high schools; provided further that no funds shall be expended unless matching funds are provided pursuant to section 302A-1314(p), Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii, Inc., in accordance with section 302A-1314, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and implemented in partnership with county economic development boards, as appropriate, for the purposes of this part.

PART III

     SECTION 5.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 for projects demonstrating cost-effective outcomes in conjunction with improved student performance in STEM and creative media experiential learning programs.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

PART IV

     SECTION 6.  (a)  The University of Hawaii, department of education, and Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii, Inc., shall report on the number of participating students and outcomes for their respective STEM initiatives.

     The department of business, economic development, and tourism shall compile and report the projections of workforce needs for emerging industries in defense and dual-use, astronomy, engineering, aquaculture, biotech, digital media, and related industries.

     (b)  The agencies shall issue a joint report to the legislature and the governor no later than twenty days prior to the beginning of each regular session of the legislature.

     SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2011.

 


 


 

Report Title:

Workforce Development; STEM Initiatives; Appropriations

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to implement the requirements of sections 304A-1861, 304A-1862, and 304A-1863, Hawaii Revised Statutes; appropriates funds for the STEMworks project-based, service learning model; appropriates funds for projects demonstrating cost-effective outcomes in conjunction with improved student performance in STEM and creative media experiential learning programs; requires annual reports by the University of Hawaii, department of education, Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii, Inc., and department of business, economic development, and tourism.  (SD1)

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.