STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2272

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2591

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2591 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to improve the operation of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) by:

     (1)  Establishing an investigative panel;

     (2)  Requiring the Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee to serve as an ex officio member of HTSB;

     (3)  Requiring HTSB to include expenditure information in its annual report;

     (4)  Authorizing HTSB to delegate powers and duties to its Executive Director;

     (5)  Requiring HTSB to determine whether license fees shall be raised;

     (6)  Requiring HTSB to develop a comprehensive plan for transferring nonessential functions and duties to other agencies;

     (7)  Requiring HTSB to review its teacher license renewal process; and

     (8)  Requiring HTSB and the Department of Education to clarify their respective powers, duties, and responsibilities.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one state agency and one individual.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by one state agency.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that this measure implements valuable recommendations to improve the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB).  The HTSB is aware of many of the concerns raised by this measure and has already begun processes to address some of them.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the provision that requires the establishment of an investigative panel for the HTSB, with the understanding that the HTSB will continue its efforts to examine and improve its criteria and processes for initial licensure, license maintenance, license renewal, and license revocation;

     (2)  Removing the provisions requiring the Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee to serve as an ex officio member of the HTSB, as it would create a conflict of interest;

     (3)  Adopting amendments proposed by HTSB that add additional requirements for licensure renewals and verification of meeting licensure renewal requirements; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2591, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2591, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair