STAND. COM. REP. NO.  615

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1722

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1722 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve early childhood education in the state by, among other things:

     (1)  Enhancing the quality of early education programs serving three- and four-year-old children by providing incentives to early educators;

     (2)  Ensuring the availability of facilities for early childhood education programs; and

     (3)  Enhancing the quality of junior kindergarten by providing for more faculty, professional development, and classroom materials.

     The Department of Education (DOE), Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, and Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Centers testified in support of this bill.  The Early Learning Educational Task Force and Hawaii State Teachers Association supported the intent of this measure.  The Hawaii Down Syndrome Congress opposed this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring the University of Hawaii College of Education, rather than DOE, to award the contract to administer the Early Childhood Educator Incentive Program (Program);

     (2)  Clarify that the Program shall provide incentives for early childhood education programs;

     (3)  Removing the stipulation that early childhood education programs can only receive wage subsidies for designating unlicensed employees who agree to work for no fewer than three years following licensure;

     (4)  Inserting an appropriation for additional family-child interaction programs located on public elementary school campuses, to be expended by the Department of Health, Family Health Service Division, Parenting Support Programs; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style, including clarifying the purpose language to provide the appropriate background for the bill and to reflect the amendments made.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1722, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1722, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair