STAND. COM. REP. NO. 979

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 832

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 832, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the redevelopment of Hawaii's public schools.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Authorizes the School Facilities Authority to:

(A) Acquire real property from a county;

(B) Adopt administrative rules that supersede all other inconsistent ordinances and rules relating to the zoning of land and construction;

(C) Engage in commercial enterprise activities; and

(D) Manage the leasing and property management of housing projects;

(2) Exempts the School Facilities Authority from county assessments and state taxes;

(3) Authorizes state and county agencies to render services to the School Facilities Authority upon request of the Authority; and

(4) Establishes a deadline for the transfer of properties from the City and County of Honolulu to the Department of Education pursuant to Act 206, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, as amended by Act 272, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the School Facilities Authority.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Budget and Finance, and Department of Land Management of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that authorizing the Authority to work with other state and county agencies and establishing a deadline for previously required land transfers will assist the Authority in effectuating its charge to redevelop the State's public schools into twenty-first century institutions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Correcting the text of section 2 of Act 206, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, as amended by section 4 of Act 272, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, for consistency with the printed version of the Session Laws of Hawaii;

(2) Correcting the name of Kahuku High and Intermediate School; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 832, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 832, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair