STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3417

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 43

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.R. No. 43, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING A REVIEW OF THE STATE'S FUNDING FOR EXISTING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION AND ACTIVITIES AND HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE PROGRAMS OFFERED IN HAWAII AND ANY DISPARITIES IN FUNDING FOR THE STATE'S TWO OFFICIAL LANGUAGES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to promote the Hawaiian language in the State's educational system.

 

Specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Requests the University of Hawaii, with the assistance of the Department of Education, to review the State's funding for current English as a second language and Hawaiian language programs and to determine any differences in funding; and

 

(2)  Requests the University of Hawaii to report its findings and recommendations, including projected costs to address any differences in funding, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2013.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

 

     Your Committee finds that although Hawaiian is one of the official languages of this State, fluent speakers of the Hawaiian language are a minority.  Your Committee also finds that funding for Hawaiian language programs is more limited than that available for English as a second language programs.  The University of Hawaii's study and report will assist the Legislature in determining a course of action to improve funding for Hawaiian language programs.

 

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 43, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

 

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

 

		____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair