STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1187

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   S.B. No. 1382

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Higher Education and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1382, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a task force to make recommendations regarding:

     (1)  The State's compliance with pertinent federal laws to ensure that state post-secondary educational programs qualify for federal student loan programs and other federal funding; and

     (2)  Whether the licensing or authorization of educational institutions and their administrators and instructors should be consolidated and tasked to a single state agency.

     The University of Hawaii and the Department of Education testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committees find that Hawaii's compliance with federal requirements is critical to ensuring the receipt of federal funds for post-secondary educational programs.  In addition, there are questions regarding whether school principals should be licensed and the effectiveness of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board in administering teacher licensing.  This measure provides a means to examine and propose changes to state functions and responsibilities relevant to these issues in light of current conditions and needs of the public education system.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Placing the task force within the University of Hawaii and requiring the University to provide administrative support to the task force;

     (2)  Removing the Legislative Reference Bureau from the task force membership;

     (3)  Clarifying that task force members are not to be compensated for their services and are not entitled to travel or incidental cost reimbursement; and

     (4)  Clarifying that the Legislative Reference Bureau is to assist the task force with preparing its reports to the Legislature under this measure, including the drafting of any proposed legislation.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Higher Education and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1382, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1382, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and Education,

____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair

____________________________ SCOTT NISHIMOTO, Chair