STAND. COM. REP. 354

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 633

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 633 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Statutorily establish a Hawaiian Language Immersion Program (Program) within the Department of Education (DOE);

(2) Provide Program teachers with certain additional benefits; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the Program.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and an individual submitted testimony in support of this bill. DOE submitted testimony in support of the intent of this bill.

Your Committee finds that while Hawaiian language immersion programs currently exist at various schools, this bill will provide additional support to immersion programs by providing statutory authority for a DOE Program. This bill will also provide needed funding and enable DOE to offer additional benefits to Program teachers to reward their additional duties.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 633 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair