STAND. COM. REP. NO.  716

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 499

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 499 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PRESCHOOL OPEN DOORS PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to extend priority for the Preschool Open Doors Program exclusively to four-year-old children who are underserved or at-risk.

The State Public Charter School Commission, Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii Children's Action Network, and Kamehameha Schools supported this measure.  The Department of Human Services supported the intent of the measure.  Parents for Public Schools of Hawaii opposed the measure.  Parents and Children Together submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that priority for the Preschool Open Doors Program will be extended to four-year-old children who are underserved or at-risk and whose family income is at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level; and

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2051, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 499, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 499, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair