STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1224

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1634

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1634, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to increase the State's support of early childhood education programs by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to assist in the expansion of the pre-plus program by identifying unused facilities or sites for classrooms;

(2) Establishing a temporary task force within DOE to review the progress of early childhood education programs in the state, including:

(a) Investigating the effects of state subsidization of these programs;

(b) Starting the development of an Office of Early Childhood Education; and

(c) Conducting a study of the impact on private providers if the state lowers the age requirement for entrance into a public school junior kindergarten;

(3) Requiring the Department of Human Service (DHS) to work with the counties to develop procedures to streamline the permit process for early childhood education facilities;

(4) Appropriating funds to DOE for facility renovations and classroom supplies; and

(5) Appropriating funds to DOE for supplemental training for early childhood education teachers and staff.

DHS, Seagull Schools, and Keiki O Ka 'Aina Family Learning Centers testified in support of this bill. Good Beginnings Alliance supported the intent of this measure. DOE supported the intent of this bill with amendments.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Removing the requirement that DOE conduct facility inspections of early childhood education programs;

(2) Deleting provisions that establish the temporary task force to review the progress of early childhood education programs in Hawaii;

(3) Removing the requirement that DHS work with the counties to develop procedures to streamline the permit process for early childhood education facilities; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1634, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1634, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Human Services,

____________________________ ALEX M. SONSON, Chair		____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair