STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2898

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3194

S.D. 2

 

 

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. 3194, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve teacher compensation and incentives.

The measure is separated into seven substantive parts as follows:

(1) Part I establishes salary increases for teachers and creates a comprehensive evaluation process for teachers;

(2) Part II provides tax incentives such as:

(A) A tax credit for public school teachers, depending upon their years of service;

(B) A tax credit for developers who lease state-owned lands to build housing for lease or rental for teachers employed in hard-to-staff public schools;

(C) A tax credit for landlords who provide housing for teachers employed in hard-to-staff public schools; and

(D) An income tax deduction for classroom supply expenses;

(3) Part III:

(A) Establishes a Master Teacher Training Program for qualified teachers to increase the quality of their skills and serve as resource to other teachers; and

(B) Amends the National Board Certification Incentive Program to allow teachers who have seven to twelve years of experience in the Department of Education time off to pursue the national certification;

(4) Part IV provides a temporary teaching license to teachers who have:

(A) A valid teaching certificate issued by the United States Department of Defense; and

(B) At least three years of teaching experience in a United States Department of Defense operated school;

(5) Part V appropriates funds for the Department of Education's Teacher Cadet Program;

(6) Part VI codifies the Department of Education's Professional Development School Program and appropriates funds for this purpose; and

(7) Part VII appropriates funds for the Department of Education's Hawaii Educator Loan Program.

Your Committee has amended the measure by:

(1) Deleting the specific tax credit amounts in Part II;

(2) Clarifying requirements for teachers to qualify for the public school teacher tax credit;

(3) Deleting the specific amounts appropriated in Parts VI and VII, and leaving those amounts unspecified; and

(4) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

Your Committee believes that the measure will assist the Department of Education in attracting and retaining qualified, dedicated, and motivated educators.

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. 3194, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3194, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair