Bill > SR102

This Resolution urges the Department of Education to provide and publish detailed information about Federal Impact Aid, a program established by United States Public Law 81-874. This aid is intended to compensate states for the financial burden on their public education systems caused by military families who do not pay local taxes due to their presence on non-taxable military lands or their exemption from income and general excise taxes. The Resolution highlights that the Department of Defense has not been meeting its full financial obligations to Hawaii's public schools, as evidenced by the low percentage of per-pupil costs reimbursed in fiscal year 2019. It calls for the Department of Education to annually report to the Legislature and publish online a summary of the impact aid owed and paid by the Department of Defense, including the number of federally connected students, the per-pupil education costs, calculations for full cost recovery and basic support payments for the aid, and the total amount of impact aid actually paid. This transparency is intended to hold the Department of Defense accountable for the substantial funds owed to the state, which Hawaii residents effectively subsidize.