THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	984
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004 (Act 51), sought to revamp education in Hawaii by, in part, creating an interagency working group to develop plans for transferring certain rights, powers, functions, duties, and resources from various state departments to the department of education.  The interagency working group ceased to exist on June 30, 2007.

     The legislature further finds that reestablishing interagency working groups will help address various issues that either have not been fully resolved since Act 51 or have arisen as a result of the transferring of certain rights, powers, functions, duties, and resources from the department of accounting and general services to the department of education.

     The purpose of this Act is to reestablish an interagency working group based on Act 51 with the overall goal of ensuring a standard level of service statewide.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  The department of education shall convene an interagency working group to discuss and create a comprehensive plan to transfer all personnel and functions of the department of accounting and general services related to neighbor island public schools to the department of education as previously mandated in Act 51 no later than the 2017-2018 fiscal biennium.  This plan shall address issues relating to:

     (1)  Necessary statewide capital improvements to public school campuses for compliance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;

     (2)  Repair and maintenance of public school facilities on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kauai; and

     (3)  Any other relevant issues, including but not limited to staffing and capacity issues, arising out of section 42 of Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, that relate to the department of education and the department of accounting and general services.

     (b)  The working group shall include the following or their designees:

     (1)  The chairperson of the senate committee on education;

     (2)  The chairperson of the house of representatives committee on education;

     (3)  The superintendent of education;

     (4)  The comptroller; and

     (5)  Any other person the superintendent of education and comptroller deem necessary to further the purposes of this Act.

     (c)  The working group shall report its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2016.

     (d)  The working group shall be dissolved on June 30, 2016.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 for the department of education to convene the interagency working group established pursuant to this Act.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.

 

 

Report Title:

Department of Education; Department of Accounting and General Services; Interagency Working Group; Appropriation

 

Description:

Establishes an interagency working group consisting of the senate education committee chairperson, house of representatives education committee chairperson, superintendent of education, and comptroller, or their designees, and any other persons the superintendent of education or comptroller deem necessary.  Tasks the interagency working group with discussing various issues relating to Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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