STAND. COM. REP. NO. 299

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 996

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 996 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE STATE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL COMMISSION TO MAINTAIN AND CONTINUE THE CURRENT FEDERALLY FUNDED CHARTER SCHOOL PREKINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate moneys for fiscal year 2019-2020 to the State Public Charter School Commission to maintain and continue the current federally-funded eighteen existing charter school prekindergarten classrooms that were provided for by the federal Preschool Development Grant of 2015.

Office of the Governor, Executive Office on Early Learning, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State Public Charter School Commission, Early Learning Board, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Kamehameha Schools, Kualapu‘u Public Conversion Charter School, Volcano School of Arts & Sciences, Kamaile Academy Public Charter School, Na Wai Ola Public Charter School, Laupāhoehoe Community Public Charter School, Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School, Kua O Ka La Public Charter School, Ho‘okako‘o Corporation, Hawaii Children's Action Network, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawaii Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and numerous concerned individuals supported this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion on this measure; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 996, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 996, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair