STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1348-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2507

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2507, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure, as received by your Committees, is to promote computer education in the State by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to:

(A) Develop and implement a computer science curricula plan for public school students in kindergarten through grade 12; and

(B) Permit public school students to apply computer science credits to a math or a science graduation requirement, but not both;

(2) Requiring the University of Hawaii (UH) to permit applicants for admission to fulfill one math or one science credit, or both, upon satisfactory completion of one computer science credit per credit requirement; and

(3) Appropriating funds to the DOE to promote computer science education as required under this measure.

HawaiiKidsCAN, Code.org, Women in Technology, Microsoft Corporation, DevLeague Inc., Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and several individuals supported this measure. The DOE and UH provided comments on this measure.

Your Committees have amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting the language of H.B. No. 2607, H.D. 1. In addition to requiring the DOE to develop and implement a statewide computer science curricula plan for public school students in kindergarten through grade 12, H.B. No. 2607, H.D. 1:

(1) Allows DOE to enter into a contract or agreement with one or more entities to develop and implement computer science teacher development programs;

(2) Appropriates funds for a computer science curricula plan, to offer computer science classes, and to contract for teacher development programs; and

(3) Provides that any unexpended and unencumbered appropriated funds lapse as of June 30, 2021.

Your Committees have further amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2507, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2507, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Higher Education,

____________________________ ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair

____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair