STAND. COM. REP. NO. 293

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 926

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 926 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for a variety of early childhood and school readiness programs in the State.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, the Early Learning Council, the Hawaii Family Support Institute, the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Child & Family Service, and the Good Beginnings Alliance.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committees find that in 2010 less than twenty-one percent of Hawaii's public school kindergarten classes consistently displayed literary concepts and skills necessary for success in school, which is a drop of four percent from 2009.  Your Committees also find that less than twenty-three percent of Hawaii's public school kindergarten classes consistently displayed an understanding of math concepts and skills necessary for success in school, which is a drop of seven percent from 2009.  Your Committees further find that many services designed to help children succeed in school have been eliminated or drastically cut over the past two years.  This measure responds to this serious situation by funding programs designed to address school readiness and early childhood development.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 926 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair