STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2129

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2607
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2607 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS
     OF WOMEN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to create the Commission on
the Status of Women trust fund (fund) and to authorize the
Commission to establish a nonprofit organization to effectuate
its powers and duties.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Public Safety; Department of Labor and
Industrial Relations; University of Hawaii at Manoa Women's
Center and Office of Student Equity, Excellence, and Diversity;
Honolulu Human Resources Department; Hawaii State Commission on
the Status of Women and two commissioners; Hawaii Civil Rights
Commission; Hawaii Women's Legislative Coalition, League of Women
Voters, Hawaii Women Lawyers; Community Alliance on Prisons;
Family Planning Centers of Hawaii; TJ Mahoney & Associates; Sex
Abuse Treatment Center; Hawaii Coalition for Affordable Long-Term
Care; Parents and Children Together; Hawaii State Coalition
Against Domestic Violence; Violence Prevention Consortium;
Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii; Hawaii Women's Political Caucus;
Hawaii Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs,
Inc.; and three private individuals.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2129
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     The purpose of the fund is to financially support the
programs of the Commission on the Status of Women (Commission).
The trust fund would receive private contributions and would
expend funds exclusively for commission programs.

     Your Committee believes that the fund is an excellent method
of allowing the Commission to become self-funded, and it would
set an example for other commissions with a laudable public
purpose to do the same.  The programs of the Commission benefit
all women of all ages, without regard to economic strata.
Private contributions from the general public can be expected to
increase, particularly if the Commission establishes a nonprofit
organization.

     The measure also calls for the conversion of the
Commission's civil service staff position to exempt status to
allow for flexibility of hours and autonomy to adjust personnel
to meet its project needs.  Your Committee notes that the measure
also provides that any employee affected by the conversion shall
be retained in the employment of the State at the same pay and
classification, through a transfer to another position for which
eligible.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2607 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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