STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2743

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2975

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2975 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 appropriate funds for the Executive Office on Early Learning to enter into contracts with third party providers for family-child interaction learning programs.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Good Beginnings Alliance, Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, Hawai‘i Association for the Education of Young Children, the Early Learning Advisory Board, PHOCUSED, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and eighty-nine individuals.

     Your Committee finds that an equitable early childhood education is critical to the success of our children and the economic future of our State.  Family-child interaction learning programs play a critical role in our State by providing a culturally-relevant educational environment for children ranging from birth through preschool.  Family-child interaction learning programs not only help to provide Hawaii's keiki with the social and emotional development needed to enter kindergarten, but these programs also emphasize the critical importance of family in the early learning process.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on this measure; and

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

     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. 2975, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2975, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair