STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1140

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1330

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1330, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL BUS SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Education for school bus services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Education Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that providing Hawaii's keiki with reliable school bus transportation allows each student to achieve their academic and extracurricular goals while also reducing tardiness and poor attendance. While the Department of Education strives to provide school bus services for public school students, recent challenges such as a shortage of qualified bus drivers has impacted all routes, with rural and remote school bus routes facing a critical shortage. This measure ensures continuity of funding for school bus transportation to ensure all keiki have an opportunity to learn and grow.

Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider the Department of Education's testimony requesting an appropriation in the amount of $22,000,000 to expand the pool of qualified drivers at the school level, waive school bus fees until consistent service can resume, and provide flexibility in supporting the Department of Education's current bus contractor staff.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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 H.B. No. 1330, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1330, H.D. 1, 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