STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1954

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 971

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 971, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STUDENT TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Education to collect certain data on county bus pass usage for public high school and charter school students and report annually to the Legislature on the Department's findings and data collected; and

(2) Appropriate funds to the Department of Education to provide bus passes for all public high school and charter school students.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu, Ulupono Initiative, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Education.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that this measure applies to charter high school students rather than all charter school students;

(2) Requiring the State Public Charter School Commission to collect certain data on county bus pass usage for charter high school students and report annually to the Legislature;

(3) Inserting an appropriation of an unspecified amount for the State Public Charter School Commission to provide bus passes for all charter high school students; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 971, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 971, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair