CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 74

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1251

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir and Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1251, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to provide assistance to public charter schools and early learning programs by, among other things:

 

     (1)  Establishing a framework for public charter schools and early learning programs to use and occupy vacant state facilities;

 

     (2)  Requiring the Board of Education to include information on facility and project funding in its annual report on public charter schools;

 

     (3)  Requiring the Legislature, starting with the 2016-2017 fiscal year, to consider appropriations and bond authorizations for charter school facilities;

 

     (4)  Establishing a Charter School Facilities Funding Working Group to advise the State Public Charter School Commission on prioritizing general fund appropriations and bond proceeds for public charter schools; and

 

     (5)  Appropriating funds and authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds for charter school facilities and improvements.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended the measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying that only public charter schools and early learning programs affiliated with a public charter school are eligible to use and occupy vacant state facilities;

 

     (2)  Removing the Executive Office on Early Learning from the framework for public charter schools and early learning programs to use and occupy vacant state facilities;

 

     (3)  Deleting the appropriations and the authorization to issue general obligation bonds;

 

     (4)  Changing its effective date to upon its approval; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1251, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1251, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Co-Chair

____________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Co-Chair

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Co-Chair