STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1661-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   S.B. No. 2545

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2545, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure that all children in the State have access to high quality early learning programs by, among other things:

     (1)  Establishing the Executive Office on Early Learning;

     (2)  Establishing the Early Learning Advisory Board and repealing the Early Learning Council;

     (3)  Establishing the Pre-plus Program within the Executive Office on Early Learning;

     (4)  Requiring the Executive Office on Early Learning to report to the Legislature prior to the 2013 Legislative session on the status of an implementation plan for the development of the Keiki First Steps program; and

     (5)  Appropriating $500,000 in general revenues to establish the Executive Office on Early Learning.

The Governor, Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Workforce Development Council, Early Learning Council, Hui for Excellence in Education, Good Beginnings Alliance, Aloha United Way, Imua Alliance, and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Office of Information Practices, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children, BeMyVoice! Hawaii, and three concerned individuals provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending the professional training requirements for the Director of the Executive Office on Early Learning;

     (2)  Clarifying that the Director is responsible for a public-private comprehensive early childhood system;

     (3)  Requiring that the Early Learning Advisory Board be an independent voice for children's health, safety, development, and learning;

     (4)  Providing a three-year term for the representative of head start provider agencies and a two-year term for the representative of Hawaiian medium early learning providers on the Early Learning Advisory Board;

     (5)  Removing language requiring members of the Early Learning Council to serve as the initial members of the Early Learning Advisory Board until the expiration of their terms;

     (6)  Making unspecified the appropriation amount;

     (7)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion; and

     (8)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2545, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2545, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair