STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2230

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2593

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2593 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a debit card system for teachers to purchase curriculum and classroom supplies.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, IMUAlliance, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and State Procurement Office.

 

     Your Committee finds that teachers in Hawaii frequently purchase supplies and curriculum materials for their classes at their own expense.  A recent study performed by the Hawaii State Teachers Association showed that forty-seven percent of teachers spent between $250 and $500 annually on classroom expenses.  Such expenses directly benefit students and should be borne by the Department of Education, however your Committee notes that the State Procurement Code should apply to purchases made under the proposed program.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Replacing all references to "debit cards" with "declining balance debit cards";

 

     (2)  Requiring that declining debit card purchases comply with the State Procurement Code; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2593, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2593, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair