STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2974

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2266

       H.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2266, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR EARLY LEARNING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to ensure that the Executive Office on Early Learning has the necessary staffing and support to ensure a solid foundation for Hawaii's young children by appropriating funds for:

     (1)  Travel for the Early Learning Advisory Board to attend meetings;

     (2)  A secretary IV position; and

     (3)  A research statistician IV position.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning, State Charter School Commission, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Kamehameha Schools, HE‘E Coalition, Hawaii Children's Action Network, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the Executive Office on Early Learning's mission is to ensure a solid foundation for Hawaii's young children, prenatal to age five, by working with partners, families, and communities and connecting policies, programs, and funding in relation to health, safety, early childhood education, and school readiness and success.  Adequate support for infrastructure and staffing is vital to the Executive Office on Early Learning's ability to accomplish that mission.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2266, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair