STAND. COM. REP. NO.  500-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2792

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2792, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide fair and equitable compensation for substitute teachers by requiring the Board of Education to provide wage adjustments comparable to the across-the-board percent wage adjustments for teachers that are negotiated with Collective Bargaining Unit 5.  In addition, this bill allows BOE to adjust hours, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment for substitute teachers.

     The Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association supported this bill.  The Attorney General, Hawaii Carpenters Union, Local 745, and Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing Lawyers supported this bill with amendments.  The Department of Budget and Finance submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that substitute teachers play a vital role in our children's education.  The provisions contained in this bill are intended to provide a fair, reasonable, and efficient mechanism to determine substitute teacher pay by linking substitute teacher wage adjustments to those of regular teachers in Collective Bargaining Unit 5.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2792, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

ALEX M. SONSON, Chair