STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2919

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3328

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 3328, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to grant to the Department of Education authority over the State's public education facilities.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the Department of Education to establish, maintain, and operate the State's public education facilities;

(2) Authorizes the Department of Education to enter into certain agreements with other departments for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of the State's public education facilities;

(3) Clarifies that the Superintendent of Education is responsible for the management of the internal improvements of the State's public education facilities;

(4) Establishes within the Department of Education the Office of Facilities and Real Estate Development and the Office of School Operations and Services and the duties and powers of each;

(5) Establishes the educational facilities and real estate development special fund;

(6) Transfers to the Department of Education the rights, powers, functions, duties, employees, records, documents, and equipment of the School Facilities Authority; and

(7) Repeals the School Facilities Authority.

Your Committees received written comments in support of this measure from the Board of Education, Department of Education, and one individual.

Your Committees received written comments in opposition to this measure from UNITE HERE Local 5.

Your Committees received written comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that granting the Department of Education authority over the State's public education facilities will help to optimize the State's efforts to manage and improve these facilities.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3328, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair