STAND. COM. REP. NO.883

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 1535

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1535, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII COMMISSION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Statutorily create the Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service (Commission); and

(2) Appropriate funds to be used as state matching funds to secure additional federal funds.

The Department of Education, the Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service, and the Youthbank Americorps Program testified in support of this bill.

Your Committees find that in 1994, the Commission was established by a gubernatorial executive order with the intent to encourage community service and volunteer participation. This was viewed as a means of community and state problem solving.

Your Committees believe that the Commission will promote citizen involvement in government and develop a vision and action plan for community service initiatives in Hawaii.

Furthermore, your Committees realize that Hawaii needs to support the Commission to comply with federal mandates and receive additional federal funds for volunteer programs.

Your Committees also realize that the current commissioners are a diverse group of individuals who share an interest in promoting community service and volunteerism in Hawaii and that through the statutory establishment of the Commission, the Legislature is expressing a long-term commitment to support national and community service activities in Hawaii.

Finally, your Committees note that through the appropriation of state matching funds, Hawaii is poised to receive more than $2,000,000 in federal funding for volunteer programs throughout the State.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1535, S.D. 2, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committees on Education and Higher Education.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing,

____________________________

MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair