STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3370

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2347

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2347 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STUDENT TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation to allow for the continued operation of the Department of Education's student transportation program.

Specifically, the measure appropriates $5,785,488 to fund the projected shortfall for public school student transportation services.

Your Committee finds that approximately 43,500 public school students use the Department of Education's school bus transportation services, including 3,500 special needs students. Many families rely on the Department to provide this transportation. The shortfall is primarily due to the necessity of spending $3,600,000 of fiscal year 2005-2006 funds for expenses incurred during the previous fiscal year and $4,700,000 for bus service contract increases. Your Committee finds that if emergency funding is not provided, the Department of Education anticipates running out of funds to pay applicable contracts in April, 2006.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2347, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2347, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair