STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3009

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2377

       H.D. 3

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2377, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to implement a constitutional amendment, upon its ratification, to require the voting members of the Board of Education to be appointed by the Governor.

 

The measure would also require the appointments to be made with the advice and consent of the Senate from pools of qualified candidates presented to the Governor by the Board of Education Candidate Nomination Commission.

 

     The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that requiring the Board of Education members to be appointed rather than elected will provide for greater accountability with respect to the public school system.  Your Committee also finds that the establishment of the Board of Education Candidate Nomination Commission will aid in vetting candidates to be considered by the Governor.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing references to the governor's actions, which are made throughout this measure, from "nominations" to "appointments", changing references from "candidates" to "members", and changing the term "applicants" to "candidates", to maintain consistency with other references throughout the measure;

 

     (2)  Deleting the definition of "commission" from sections 302A-A and 302A-B, and adding a new definition of "commission" to section 302A-101, Hawaii Revised Statutes (relating to general definitions for the chapter);

 

     (3)  Making a conforming amendment to section 302A-1110, Hawaii Revised Statutes (regarding the inapplicability of educational districts), to reference the school districts established under the new statutory provision section 302A-C; and

 

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, style, and consistency.

 

     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. 2377, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2377, H.D. 3, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair