STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1508
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2005
RE: H.B. No. 1300
H.D. 2
S.D. 2
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2005
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1300, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to increase access to early childhood education opportunities.
Specifically, this bill establishes a temporary early childhood education task force to oversee operational planning to increase access to early childhood learning, enhance infrastructure, and improve young children's school readiness. This bill appropriates $100,000 for fiscal year 2005-2006 to support the operations of the temporary early childhood education task force.
This bill also requires the Department of Human Services to adopt an incentives for quality investment system, based on the recommendations of the task force, to issue licenses to early childhood education programs. The term "incentives for quality investment system" is defined. These two statutory provisions take effect on June 30, 2008.
Finally, this bill requires the Department of Human Services to create a two-year pilot program to provide universal access to early childhood education for children up to age five in families in critical need as determined by the Department. This bill appropriates $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2005-2006 and $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2006-2007 for the Department of Human Services to implement this two-year early childhood education pilot program.
Your Committee believes that there is an increasing need for more quality early childhood education programs for all residents of the State while, at the same time, more and more residents are unable to ensure that their young children are ready for school because they cannot afford these quality early childhood programs. This bill will help to implement increased access to quality early childhood education programs for Hawaii residents.
Your Committee has amended this bill by making the following technical amendments:
(1) Replacing the appropriated amount for the task force with an unspecified amount for the purpose of stimulating further discussion;
(2) Replacing the appropriated amounts for the two-year pilot program with unspecified amounts for the purpose of further discussions;
(3) Inserting the word "temporary" before the title of the "early childhood education task force" to clarify its temporary nature in various parts of the bill;
(4) Inserting the clause, "which shall terminate on June 30, 2007," in the first sentence in section 6 to clarify the task force's termination date;
(5) Changing the repeal date of section 6 of the bill, which creates the task force, to June 30, 2007, one year earlier because the task force has no functions beyond June 30, 2007; and
(6) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments.
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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1300, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1300, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,
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____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair |
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