STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1114

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 428

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 428, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to increase the educational capital of the State and improve its capacity to meet the challenges of providing support services to the elderly, the poor, and the homeless through the appropriation of funds to support the operations of the Center on the Family at the University of Hawaii.

     This measure also requires the University of Hawaii to report to the Legislature prior to the 2008 Regular Session on actions taken pursuant to this measure.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Youth Services, the University of Hawaii, Read To Me International, Aloha United Way, Ka Hale Pomaika‘i, Hawaii Women Work!, the Institute for Human Services, Inc., Project Dana, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Windward Homeless Coalition, Volunteer Resource Center of Hawaii, Save the FoodBasket, Inc., and ten individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the Center on the Family at the University of Hawaii conducts research and activities that focus on the economic strain on families; family resilience; the healthy development of children; the consequences for children of parental childrearing beliefs and practices; and monitoring the well-being of families, children, and the aging in Hawaii.  The Center's mission is to enhance interdisciplinary research, service, and education that supports and strengthens families.  Your Committee further finds that the Center provides valuable data on the State's families, children, and elderly that assists government departments and agencies as well as nonprofit organizations in serving disadvantaged groups within the State.

     Furthermore, your Committee believes that an appropriation of $150,000 in each year of the 2007-2009 fiscal biennium would be appropriate to assist the Center in its operations, which will in turn assist service agencies and organizations in better serving the people of Hawaii.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Extending the appropriation for the Center on the Family for both years of the 2007-2009 fiscal biennium; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 428, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 428, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair