STAND. COM. REP. NO. 278

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1173

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1173 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR MATCHING GRANTS FOR SPACE EDUCATION PROGRAMMING SERVICES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an appropriation for the Department of Education to award a matching grant for space education programming services at Barbers Point Elementary School.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from two private entities and six individuals.

 

     Your Committees find that the Challenger Center of Hawaii is an important science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program that prepares students for the twenty-first century workforce.  The Challenger Learning Center at Barbers Point Elementary School provides professional training and materials to the State's teachers, as well as hands-on, integrated space-related thematic instruction to students.  These students utilize STEM skills in real world applications as they learn teamwork, communication, problem solving, and decision making.  Students are prepared for a successful future in Hawaii as teachers, stewards of education, and high technology professionals.

 

     Testimony on this measure indicated that the minimum funding to continue to operate the Challenger Learning Center at Barbers Point Elementary School is $100,000 for fiscal year 2011-2012.  Your Committees learned that there is the possibility of forthcoming federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, along with private donations.

 

     Your Committees believe that the Center should endeavor to become financially self-sufficient.  Testimony indicated that the Center plans to incorporate as a 501(c) nonprofit for this purpose.  Your Committees urge the Challenger Center of Hawaii to obtain any available federal grant monies rather than relying on appropriations and donations.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting funding for fiscal year 2012-2013;

 

(2)  Deleting references to matching grants and matching funding from other sources;

 

(3)  Inserting an unspecified appropriation amount for fiscal year 2011-2012; and

 

     (4)  Requiring the Challenger Center of Hawaii to formulate a plan to become financially self-sufficient for fiscal year 2012-2013 and thereafter, including the use of private donations, fees, and federal grant monies; and requiring the Center to report on its plan no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012.

 

     Your Committees respectfully request that, should your Committee on Ways and Means consider this measure; your Committee on Ways and Means consider inserting the provision in S.B. No. 1173 relating to the requirement for the recipient to provide a match to every $1 awarded to the Department of Education in order to avoid any conflict with the title of this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1173, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1173, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Education,

 

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair