STAND. COM. REP. NO. 779

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 778

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 778 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, AND FOR SCHOOL-BASED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide emergency funding to the Department of Education to cover increased costs for required services to children with autism spectrum disorder and for school-based behavioral health services.

Your Committee finds that in July 2002, the program responsibility for services for children with autism spectrum disorder was transferred from the Department of Health to the Department of Education. The transfer did not include infrastructure, which resulted in the program being under funded at the time of the transfer. Since the transfer, there has been no increase in the initial appropriation of $27,000,000. Your Committee believes that the emergency appropriation is needed to enable the Department of Education to meet its federal obligations to these students under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This measure will assist in paying for increased costs due to an increase in students identified as having autism spectrum disorder and for increased costs for school-based behavioral health services.

Upon further review, your Committee amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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. 778, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 778, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair