CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 49-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    S.B. No. 2163

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2163, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to limit the duration of employment of an emergency unlicensed hire of the Department of Education to three years or four years if hired prior to July 1, 2008.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that to provide adequate public education for our keiki, the problem to be addressed is not simply that of a teacher shortage, but more specifically the shortage of highly qualified licensed teachers.  The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board is tasked with regulating teachers within the State, and, although currently the Department of Education is experiencing a shortage of qualified licensed teachers to teach in the public schools, maximization of teacher licensure in the public schools should be our goal.  The current law allows unlicensed individuals to be hired on an emergency basis for a maximum period of four years, while demonstrating active pursuit of proper licenses.  This bill reduces the duration of employment for such emergency hires to three years, or four years for unlicensed individuals hired prior to July 1, 2008.  This limitation should encourage unlicensed individuals to become licensed in a more expeditious manner; however, the issue may need to be revisited in the future to ensure that it is not acting as an obstacle to ensuring there are adequate numbers of teachers to teach in the public schools.

     Upon further review, your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Providing that the amendments made to section 302A-804, Hawaii Revised Statutes, under section 2 shall be repealed on July 1, 2011; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2163, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2163, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Co-Chair	____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair
____________________________ ALEX M. SONSON, Co-Chair
____________________________ MICHAEL Y. MAGAOAY, Co-Chair