STAND. COM. REP. NO. 607

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 931

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 931, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to ensure adequate resources for early childhood education by requiring the Early Learning Council (Council) to:

     (1)  Perform a fiscal mapping study, with assistance from the departments of Education, Health, and Human Services, to identify sources of funding for the Council; and

     (2)  Report its findings to the Legislature before the 2012 Regular Session.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from Patricia McManaman, Interim Director, Department of Human Services; Katherine Murphy, Executive Director, Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children; Elizabeth Chun, Executive Director, Good Beginnings Alliance; Dee Jay Mailer, Chief Executive Officer, Kamehameha Schools; and Dr. Robert Peters, Chair, Early Learning Council.

     Your Committee finds that the Early Learning Council was established to develop and administer the early learning system under section 302L-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for the education of children from birth until the time they enter kindergarten.  This measure will help the Council formulate long-term and fiscally responsible plans to administer the early learning system.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the Council is to identify sources of funding for the early learning system;

     (2)  Requiring the Council to report its progress, rather than findings, to the Legislature prior to the 2012 Regular Session; and

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 931, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 931, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair