STAND. COM. REP. NO.673

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 1535

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1535, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HAWAII COMMISSION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to statutorily establish the Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service.

This bill also appropriates funds to be used as state matching funds to secure federal moneys.

The Superintendent of Education, the Chair, Vice Chair, and two Commissioners of the Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service, and an individual testified in support of this bill.

The current Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service was established through gubernatorial executive order in 1994 to:

(1) Encourage community service and volunteer participation as a means of community and State problem-solving;

(2) Promote citizen involvement in government;

(3) Develop a vision and action plan for community service initiatives in Hawaii; and

(4) Serve as the State's liaison to similar national and state organizations.

Hawaii was required to establish a commission to receiving funding for the AmeriCorps national service program. The Commission administers AmeriCorps programs in Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the current Commissioners are a diverse group of volunteer appointees who share an interest in promoting community service and volunteerism in Hawaii. The Department of Education is an active member of the Commission and encourages public and private school students to participate in service learning projects that help their community.

Your Committee further finds that establishing the Commission statutorily expresses the Legislature's commitment to develop long-term support for national and community service activities in Hawaii. The amount appropriated is a federal matching requirement that will allow Hawaii to receive more than $2,000,000 in federal funding for volunteer programs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the amount of the appropriation to $1;

(2) Deleting a general provision purporting to amend "all conflicting laws" to conform with the bill; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and style.

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 S.B. No. 1535, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1535, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair