STAND. COM. REP. NO.1711

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.C.R. No. 100

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 100 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONTINUE TO OVERSEE, ON THE LEGISLATURE'S BEHALF, THE STATE'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE SERVICES TO FELIX CLASS CHILDREN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to continue to oversee, on the Legislature's behalf, the State's efforts to provide effective services to Felix class children.

Your Committee heard testimony in support of the measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the Felix Consent Decree has necessitated a dramatic increase in funding for special education services for Felix class children. In order to properly effectuate the Legislature's role as responsible stewards of public resources and monitors of public programs, it is fitting that the Legislature should request the Auditor to monitor the State's efforts to provide effective services to Felix class children, especially in light of the unbiased, nonpartisan perspective of the Auditor and the relevant expertise the Auditor has based on creating two reports on the topic.

Your Committee has amended the measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the federal court order of August 2, 2000 was a revised consent decree;

(2) Lowering the amount of the emergency appropriation request made by the Department of Education and Department of Health in early 2001 from $107,000,000 to $84,000,000;

(3) Changing the date of that request from January 2001 to March 2001;

(4) Making numerous minor changes indicating the difficulty experienced by various departments in meeting the court established standards;

(5) Adding a provision requesting the Auditor to examine the organizational structure of the components of the Department of Education and Department of Health providing such services so to ensure fiscal and organizational accountability; and

(6) Adding a provision requesting the Auditor to determine the range and scope of services currently being provided in the State of Hawaii and determine the effectiveness of the services being provided.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 100, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 100, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair