STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2003

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2425

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2425 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII 3R'S,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Rename the Hawaii 3R's school repair and maintenance fund as the Hawaii 3R's school improvement fund; and

     (2)  Require the transfer of monies collected pursuant to section 235-102.5(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes, and any other monies received in the form of grants and donations for school-level improvement and minor repairs and maintenance to the Hawaii 3R's school improvement fund.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaiian Electric Company, Hawaii 3R's, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that for more than a decade, Hawaii 3R's provided a valuable service of bringing much needed improvements to the public schools.  Section 235-102.5(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes, enables taxpayers to elect to make donations toward the school-level minor repairs and maintenance special fund by checking off a box on their individual income tax return.  When passed, the section was intended to facilitate funding for the repair and maintenance of Hawaii's public schools.  This measure ensures that the monies received through the taxpayer-elected donations are transferred to Hawaii 3R's for the continued improvement of Hawaii's schools.

     This measure also recognizes Hawaii 3R's changing role in building a greater sense of community around the schools it assists and allows monies to be applied to projects that facilitate a broader array of educational purposes.

     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. 2425 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair