STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2250

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2878

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2878 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to create and appropriate funds for the Early Learning Council to govern the State's early learning system.

     This measure also establishes and appropriates funds for an early learning system and the Keiki First Steps Program.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the University of Hawaii System, Aloha United Way, the Hawai‘i Business Roundtable, the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Kamehameha Schools, the Hawaii P-20 Initiative, the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, the Hawaii Educational Policy Center, the Center on Disability Studies, Good Beginnings Alliance, the Early Learning Educational Task Force, the Hawai‘i Association for the Education of Young Children, and seventeen individuals.

     Your Committees find that the Early Learning Educational Task Force was established by the Legislature pursuant to Act 259, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006.  The task force was charged with building a comprehensive early learning system that considers the recommendations of the temporary early childhood education task force, while also acknowledging the important role of parent education and family strengthening in the overall education of young children.  The task force was required to submit a final report to the Legislature and the Governor on its findings and recommendations, which included several recommendations.  This measure encompasses recommendations made by the task force, including the establishment of the Early Learning Council, an early learning system, and the Keiki First Steps Program.  The Early Learning Council is attached to the Department of Education, for administrative purposes only, and the Council will be able to determine the appropriate entity to support its activities.

     Your Committees appreciate the work of the task force and believes that support for its recommendations will help to build a solid foundation for providing for early learning needs.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2878, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2878, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair