Bill Text: HI SB984 | 2015 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii Senate Bill 984 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Department of Education; Department of Accounting and General Services; Interagency Working Group; Appropriations; Transfer ($)

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-03-12 - Referred to LAB/EDN, FIN, referral sheet 30 [SB984 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2015-SB984-Amended.html

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	984
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		S.D. 2
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 establishing another interagency working group 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:

(1) Establish an interagency working group based on Act 51 with the overall goal of ensuring a standard level of service statewide; and

(2) Require that the transfer of certain rights, powers, functions, duties, and resources from the department of accounting and general services to the department of education be completed by July 1, 2017.

SECTION 2. (a) The department of education shall convene an interagency working group to 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 sessions of 2016 and 2017; provided that an implementation plan shall be included with the report for the regular session of 2016.

(d) The working group shall be dissolved on June 30, 2017.

SECTION 3. Based upon the findings and recommendations of the working group, the actual transfer of all personnel and functions of the department of accounting and general services related to neighbor island public schools to the department of education shall be completed by July 1, 2017.

SECTION 4. 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 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the department of education to convene the interagency working group established pursuant to this Act.

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

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.

Report Title:

Department of Education; Department of Accounting and General Services; Interagency Working Group; Appropriations; Transfer

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. Requires the actual transfer of personnel and functions of the department of accounting and general services related to neighbor island public schools to the department of education to be completed by 7/1/2017. (SD2)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.