STAND. COM. REP. NO. 133

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 978

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 978 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE LIBRARY SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Amend the threshold value of an unclaimed fund claim and the timeline for when that claim becomes void after ten years;

(2) Specify that unclaimed funds of $10 or less in the unclaimed property trust fund, upon the expiration of a ten-year time limitation, shall escheat to the State and be transferred to the libraries special fund; and

(3) Specify that unclaimed funds of more than $10 but less than $250 in the unclaimed property trust fund, upon expiration of the ten-year time limitation, shall escheat to the State and be transferred to the general fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Public Library System and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's public libraries offer many public benefits, including acting as community gathering places where learning happens and knowledge is shared. Many members of the public, including children and kupuna, rely on the public library system. This measure provides an opportunity to increase support to the Hawaii State Public Library System for the increasing demands of library patrons for library books and materials.

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. 978 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair