STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2173

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 983

S.D. 2

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 Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 983, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update and expand the Department of Education's existing professional certification incentive program. Specifically, this measure:

(1) Renames the Department of Education's Teacher National Board Certification Incentive Program as the National Certification Incentive Program;

(2) Expands and clarifies the requirements of the National Certification Incentive Program to include school psychologists;

(3) Specifies that teacher incentives, bonuses, and compensation beyond regular wages are excluded from public charter schools' facilities funding or per-pupil base requests and shall be included as separate line items in the budget for public charter schools; and

(4) Appropriates an unspecified amount of funds for hard-to-fill placement bonuses and national certification bonuses for:

(A) Public school teachers and school psychologists; and

(B) Public charter school teachers and school psychologists.

The State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii Association of School Psychologists, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Kamehameha Schools, and many individuals supported this measure. The Department of Education, Department of Budget and Finance, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and an individual provided comments.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 983, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair