STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2710

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2242

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2242, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide grants to public high school students who are applying for technical or workforce training.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Appropriates moneys to the Department of Education to establish the Workforce Development Microgrant Program to award grants to public high school students who are applying for technical or workforce training in certain fields;

(2) Requires that the grants be used to pay for costs associated with the technical or workforce training; and

(3) Requires the Department of Education to establish written standards and criteria by which the grants shall be awarded.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, the OCC Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and two concerned individuals.

Your Committee recognizes the importance of providing students with technical or workforce training as an alternative to college. Your Committee believes that providing grants to public high school students who are interested in certain career occupations to receive technical or workforce training would better prepare those students to enter the workforce following high school.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of 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. 2242, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2242, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair