STAND. COM. REP. NO. 83

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1329

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1329 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify provisions of the early learning system established by Act 14, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, by:

     (1)  Authorizing the Hawaii Council of Mayors to name designees for their two representatives on the Early Learning Council;

     (2)  Changing the name of the Keiki First Steps Trust Fund to the Early Learning Council Trust Fund; and

     (3)  Specifying that moneys in the trust fund shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services; the Department of Education; Kamehameha Schools; the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools; and the Good Beginnings Alliance.  Copies of written testimony are available for review on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that the work of the Early Learning Council, created by Act 14, is essential in that it involves development of a comprehensive early childhood education system for the State to coordinate and improve upon the fragmented services currently being offered.  Your Committee further finds that it is important to provide the Council with the flexibility and funds it requires to carry on this important mission.  To this end, in addition to the clarifications and flexibility offered by the measure as written, the measure should also allow the Governor's appointees to the Council to name designees and permit any unexpended funds from the current appropriation to lapse into the Keiki First Steps Trust Fund/Early Learning Council Trust Fund at the end of the fiscal year.

     Your Committee has amended the measure by:

     (1)  Allowing representatives on the Early Learning Council who are appointed by the Governor to appoint designees to the Council;

     (2)  Changing the name of the fund from the Keiki First Steps Trust Fund to the Early Learning Trust Fund; and

     (3)  Clarifying that any unexpended funds in the Early Learning Trust Fund at the end of each fiscal year shall not lapse to the credit of the general fund.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1329, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair