Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3101, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to implement the recommendations of the Early Childhood Education Task Force and to establish the Early Learning Authority.

Your Committee finds that Act 151, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, established an Early Childhood Education Task Force at the University of Hawaii to study the issue of early childhood education in the State.

The primary recommendation of the task force was the establishment of the Early Learning Authority to develop, implement, and provide for the sustainability of a coherent, comprehensive early learning system that maximizes public and private resources to provide early learning opportunities for all young children in the State up to the age of eight.

This measure appropriates funds to establish and require the Authority to:

(2) Ensure a statewide integrated early childhood system;

(4) Provide funding for early childhood education programs.

This measure also allows the Authority to contract with a nonprofit organization to assist the Authority.

Your Committee has amended the measure by:

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 S.B. No. 3101, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3101, S.D. 2.