STAND. COM. REP. NO.  42

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 759

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 759 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COOLING SYSTEMS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve public school students' learning experience by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Education (DOE) and Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), in consultation with the State Energy Office of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute of the University of Hawaii, to:

          (A)  Jointly conduct a comprehensive study; and

          (B)  Submit a joint report to the Legislature,

          regarding a master strategy for implementing cooling systems at all public school facilities;

     (2)  Appropriating funds for the development of the master strategy, including the comprehensive study; and

     (3)  Authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds to fund projects that demonstrate efficient methods to cool classrooms in public schools.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association supported this bill.  The DOE and Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Allowing the comprehensive study to be conducted in coordination with other infrastructure studies undertaken by the DOE for similar purposes;

     (2)  Replacing a reference to "air conditioning" with "ideal room temperature"; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 759, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 759, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair