STAND. COM. REP. NO. 50

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 195

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 195 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board for two permanent specialist positions.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education, and three individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board received monies for staffing from the general revenues of the State until 2012, at which time the source of monies for staffing was changed to a special fund.  Your Committee further finds that this change significantly reduced the resources available to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board and forced the Board to reduce staff and office space.  This reduction in resources has caused hardship for the Board and complicated its mission to set high teacher licensing and credentialing standards.

     This measure will provide the Board with much needed funds to hire permanent staff to help the Board fulfill its 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 S.B. No. 195 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