STAND. COM. REP. NO.1048

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 1236

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1236 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Establish the Data and Research Office for Children and Families (DROCF) within the Center on the Family at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH); and

(2) Appropriate funds for the establishment of DROCF.

The Hawaii Performance Partnerships Board (HPPB), Good Beginnings Alliance, Hawaii Women's Political Caucus, and Hawaii Kids Watch submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Special Assistant on Children and Families in the Office of the Governor supported the intent of this measure.

UH, the Department of Human Services (DHS), Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, and concerned citizens supported this measure with the proposed amendment to include an appropriation for the Bridge-to-Hope Program (BTH).

Your Committees find that establishing DROCF is crucial in collecting data and making it available to fulfill the needs of Hawaii's citizens. The use of data allows communities to take steps to improve programs and the community as a whole.

Overwhelming testimony was submitted supporting an amendment to include the BTH Program within this measure, and designating HPPB, in place of a newly established office, to conduct research on key indicators and data sets relevant to the health, education, and socioeconomic well-being of Hawaii's children and families.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Providing for a BTH staff position from funds designated by Act 276, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000;

(2) Appropriating $1 for BTH for fiscal year 2002-2003, which would include one position;

(3) Designating the Office of the Governor, instead of UH, as the expending agency for the DROCF appropriation; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1236, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1236, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Housing and Higher Education,

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair

____________________________

MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Chair