STAND. COM. REP. NO.  922

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 595

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 595, 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 increase accountability and transparency within the Department of Education (DOE) by appropriating funds to improve its technology systems and infrastructure, including:

(1)  Providing an integrated comprehensive student support system;

(2)  Expanding the State's high capacity network to accommodate increasing needs in the use of technology in the classrooms;

(3)  Providing for a facilities asset management system to link DOE's facilities inventory with condition assessments, and track and prioritize major and minor repairs to all school facilities; and

(4)  Adding funding for staff, training, supplies, and equipment for a fee-for-service pilot program with DOE's Office of Technology Services to provide technology assistance to schools, school complexes, and complex areas.

     DOE and the Hawaii Government Employees Association supported this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Removing specific appropriated dollar amounts;

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     Your Committee acknowledges DOE's recommendation to clarify that the integrated comprehensive support system is one of the items that will be supported by the appropriation for the Office of Information Technology Services and that these funds should be used for "improvements" to the financial management system.

     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 H.B. No. 595, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 595, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair