STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2139

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2613

       S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 2613 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to expand the national board certification incentives to public school counselors and school psychologists, and to authorize continuing bonuses for teachers, counselors, and school psychologists in designated high-need schools that improve and are no longer designated as such.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii Association of School Psychologists, Community Children's Council Legislative Committee, Hawaii School Counselor Association, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and six individuals.

     Your Committee finds that having highly qualified mental health providers in schools is important for the wellbeing and success of students.  The certification process for school counselors and school psychologists is similarly rigorous to that of teachers.  Providing incentives for mental health providers similar to the incentives for teachers is likely to attract highly qualified counselors and school psychologists to public schools in the State, to the benefit of Hawaii's students.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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 S.B. No. 2613, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2613, S.D. 1, 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