HB2094 SD1

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the demand for quality early care and education far exceeds the amount of available and qualified early childhood educators. Given the critical need to expand access to and the availability of high-quality early care and education programs for the benefit of the State's children and their families, which will ultimately benefit the entire society, the legislature recognizes that there must also be enough qualified educators to staff the programs and that these educators must have the research-based knowledge and competencies to work with young children and their families. Researchers have repeatedly demonstrated that children, particularly those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, will benefit from early childhood education; however, it is emphasized that the education must be of high quality. A stipend program will support those individuals seeking to become high-quality early childhood educators.

Without qualified teaching staff, providers across the system will be unable to expand the inventory of early care and education opportunities and where providers do develop programs, they run the risk of implementing programs that may be detrimental to children, many of whom are living in poverty and who have experienced trauma, and possibly excluding children through suspension and expulsion practices.

The purpose of this Act is to make stipends available through an early childhood educator stipend program, to be administered by the executive office on early learning and funded by the legislature, to encourage individuals, especially those already working in the early childhood field, to pursue a certificate, degree, or license in early childhood education and fill the critical need for qualified educators across the early learning system in programs delivered in either of Hawaii's two official languages. This program shall be based on the strong foundations laid by the existing Grow Our Own teacher stipend program for kindergarten through grade twelve teachers, and structured similarly to the stipend program funded through the federal preschool development grant that ended in 2019.

SECTION 2. Chapter 302L, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302L- Hawaii early childhood educator stipend program. (a) There is established the Hawaii early childhood educator stipend program to be administered by the office to address the shortfall of early childhood educators who have coursework in early childhood education.

(b) An individual shall be eligible for stipend consideration if the individual:

(1) Is enrolled at a University of Hawaii campus or in a University of Hawaii program and qualifies for Hawaii resident tuition; and

(2) Is enrolled in a certificate, degree, or license program in early childhood education, including those in the Hawaiian language medium, which includes courses required for the respective program of study, within the University of Hawaii system.

(c) Immediately following completion of a certificate, degree, or license program pursuant to subsection (b), stipend recipients shall provide early care and education services directly to children from birth through five years of age for two to four consecutive years in one of the early learning settings described in section 302L-2, including Hawaiian language medium and Hawaiian immersion settings and early learning settings at charter schools.

(d) If the recipient fails to complete a certificate, degree, or license program pursuant to subsection (b), or to satisfy the work requirements of subsection (c), stipend funds shall be repaid as follows:

(1) For each year less than the designated number of years that a stipend recipient does not meet the work requirements of subsection (c), the recipient shall repay a proportionate percentage of the total stipend funds received; and

(2) The repayment shall be subject to the terms and conditions set by the office for stipend repayment, including circumstances under which recipients may be eligible for deferment or forgiveness due to hardship or inability to secure employment, as well as potential for fees for the collection of delinquent repayment.

(e) In accordance with chapter 103D, the office may enter into written contracts with collection agencies to collect delinquent repayment of stipends owed to the office pursuant to subsection (d). A collection agency that enters into a written contract with the office to collect delinquent stipend repayments pursuant to this section may collect a fee from the debtor in accordance with the terms of, and up to the amounts authorized in, the written contract.

(f) The office may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to implement and administer the stipend program, including the terms of repayment pursuant to subsection (c)."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the establishment and implementation of the Hawaii early childhood educator stipend program.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the executive office on early learning for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2055.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2094
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 1