STAND. COM. REP. NO. 58

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 897

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation, to which was referred S.B. No. 897 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY TRAINING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate $1,000,000 for deposit into the Hawaii 3Ts School Technology Laboratories Fund to expand the Project EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) program to Oahu and continuing to expand EAST on the neighbor islands.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, High Technology Development Corporation, Department of Education, Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii, Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, Maui Economic Development Board, Kauai Economic Development Board, Women in Technology, Trex Hawaii, LLC, a teacher at Kauai High School, nearly four dozen EAST students from King Kekaulike High School, Baldwin High School, Lahainaluna High School, Maui High School, and Molokai High School, and three individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that Project EAST has been very successful in the eight Hawaii public schools that currently offer the program – five on Maui, one on the Big Island, one on Kauai, and the latest EAST on Molokai.  In addition, Hawaii students have won extensive honors at each of the national EAST competitions they have attended since the program's inception in Hawaii.

     Your Committee heard testimony that spoke to the strengths of EAST in developing team-building and learning skills, as well as the practical applications of technology in problem solving.  Members of your Committee were particularly impressed by the student testimony, both for its enthusiasm and maturity.

 

     It is the intent of your Committee to voice strong support for Project EAST and its expansion to Oahu and additional neighbor island schools.

 

     Your Committee has amended the findings and purpose section of this measure to acknowledge the support of the Senate Majority Caucus for Project EAST, and made nonsubstantive, technical amendments.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 897, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 897, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Taxation,

 

 

 

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair