STAND. COM. REP. NO.  841-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 14

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 14, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve early childhood education in the State by:

(1)  Requiring school attendance for five-year-old children, thereby making kindergarten attendance mandatory;

(2)  Requiring the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Executive Office on Early Learning, to develop a statewide individualized kindergarten readiness system to collect information and data available through individualized kindergarten readiness assessments, and appropriating funds for this purpose; and

(3)  Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, requiring all Department of Education and charter school kindergarten classes to adopt the statewide individualized kindergarten readiness system, provided that parents may exempt their children from the system.

The Executive Office on Early Learning; Department of Education; Hawai‘i P-20; The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Hawaii State Teachers Association; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; University of Hawai‘i at Manoa College of Education; Good Beginnings Alliance; Hui for Excellence in Education; IMUAlliance; and numerous individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Human Services and Special Education Advisory Council commented on this measure.  An individual opposed this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Making the appropriation in an unspecified amount;

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion; and

(3)  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 H.B. No. 14, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 14, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair