CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT NO.95

                            Honolulu, Hawaii
                                            , 1999

                            RE:   H.B. No. 1088
                                  H.D. 2
                                  S.D. 2
                                  C.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the
House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate
in H.B. No. 1088, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

    "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL ATTENDANCE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to
recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final
passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to change the date by which a
child must have a birthday to attend kindergarten in the public
schools from December 31 of the school year to the first day of
the school year, unless the child meets readiness standards
determined by the Board of Education.

     Setting the kindergarten age in statute raises a number of
complex issues and competing perspectives.  A comprehensive
review of these issues and perspectives should be completed
before making a decision on this matter. 
 

 
 
 
                            CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT NO.95
                            Page 2



     Your Committee on Conference has amended the bill by
deleting its substance and replacing it with a study by the Board
of Education, with a report to be submitted to the Legislature
prior to the Regular Session of 2000.

     Your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent
and purpose of H.B. No. 1088, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein,
and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached
hereto as H.B. No. 1088, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted,

MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE        MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE
           SENATE                              HOUSE
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
DAVID Y. IGE, Co-Chair             KEN ITO, Co-Chair
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair           BERTHA C. KAWAKAMI, Co-Chair
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair             SCOTT K. SAIKI, Member
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Member            DAVID D. STEGMAIER, Member
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
WHITNEY ANDERSON, Member           BERTHA F.K. LEONG, Member