REPORT TITLE: 
Textbook shortage; allocation
of DOE's budget
DESCRIPTION:
Establishes a DOE policy that every public school student shall
have textbooks covering the student's curriculum, for use on or
off campus, and provides for an allocation of DOE's annual budget
for such purposes.

 
HB HMIA 99-369
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            1614        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                     A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO TEXTBOOKS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:


 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that there is a critical
 
 2 shortage of core textbooks in our public schools.  Hawaii ranks
 
 3 47 out of 51 in per capita purchases of textbooks. The State
 
 4 spends only $33.20 per capita compared to a nationwide average of
 
 5 $49.82 or a high of $84.36 in Indiana.  
 
 6      Many students in the Hawaii public school system lack core
 
 7 textbooks.  At Kalaheo High School for example, ninth and tenth
 
 8 graders individually don't have copies of textbooks in english,
 
 9 science, and social studies.  How can students learn without
 
10 textbooks? 
 
11      The purpose of this Act is to insure that every public
 
12 school student is provided current textbooks for use during the
 
13 school year.  Before any other responsibility, the department of
 
14 education must provide school children with up-to-date textbooks.
 
15      SECTION 2.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
16 amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated
 
17 and to read as follows:
 
18      "�302A-      School textbooks, state policy.  It shall be
 
19 the policy of this State that the department of education shall
 

 
HB HMIA 99-369
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 1 provide every public school student with current textbooks
 
 2 covering the student's curriculum.  The student shall have right
 
 3 to use such textbooks on or off campus as appropriate."
 
 4      SECTION 3.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 5 amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated
 
 6 and to read as follows:
 
 7      "�302A-      DOE budget allocation for textbooks.  In order
 
 8 to insure that every public school student is provided with
 
 9 current textbooks for each school year, the department of
 
10 education shall reserve, use, or allocate     % or $          ,
 
11 whichever is greater, of its annual budget to the acquisition,
 
12 maintenance, repair and/or replacement of current textbooks as
 
13 provided in section �302A-     ."
 
14      SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
15      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 
 
16 
 
17                         INTRODUCED BY:___________________________
 

 
HB HMIA 99-369