02/21/2001 01:32 PM House FIN

CS FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 6(FIN)                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Urging the Congress of the United States to provide                                                                        
     federal education funds as a block grant to the state.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVE DONLEY,  sponsor, spoke in support  of the bill.                                                                   
He observed that the legislation  would encourage Congress to                                                                   
provide federal education funds  as block grants. States have                                                                   
been successful  in reducing the cost and  improving delivery                                                                   
of welfare  to their  citizens since  the federal  government                                                                   
began  distribution  of  welfare  through  block  grants.  He                                                                   
stressed  that  there  are  high   the  administrative  costs                                                                   
associated with the various federal  education programs. This                                                                   
money  could be  used in  the classrooms.  Many local  school                                                                   
districts  have complained  about  the administrative  burden                                                                   
for  federal   programs,  which  go  through   three  levels:                                                                   
federal, state and local.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
In  response  to  a question  by  Vice-Chair  Bunde,  Senator                                                                   
Donley stressed  that any movement toward block  grants would                                                                   
allow flexibility and lower administrative costs.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative   John  Davies   expressed  support   for  the                                                                   
legislation. He pointed out that  language on line 4 could be                                                                   
misunderstood  to   indicate  that  the   federal  government                                                                   
provides  all of the  funding for  education. He  recommended                                                                   
the addition of "categorical."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative John Davies MOVED  to amend the legislation on                                                                   
line 4:  insert "categorical"  before "funding".  There being                                                                   
NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
HCS CSSJR  6 (FIN) was REPORTED  out of Committee with  a "do                                                                   
pass"  recommendation  and  with  a  previously  passed  zero                                                                   
fiscal note by the Senate Finance Committee.