STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1137-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: S.B. No. 2065

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Lower & Higher Education and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2065, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOLS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Workforce Readiness Program within the Department of Education to allow students to graduate from an extended high school enrollment with an industry-recognized associate's degree to complement the student's high school diploma; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the Program, including two full‑time equivalent (2.0 FTE) educational specialist II positions and seven full-time equivalent (7.0 FTE) district office teachers.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Food Industry Association and three individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Education, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Executive Office on Early Learning, and Early Learning Board.

Your Committees find that, despite having a high school graduation rate of eighty-one percent, only fifty-six percent of Hawaii's public school graduates continued on to post-secondary education in 2015. Your Committees further find that high school students in Hawaii would benefit from aligning educational curriculum to workforce readiness. This measure will establish a Workforce Readiness Program that will have educators and industry employers collaborate to develop a qualified pool of talent ready to meet local, regional, and global economic and labor demands.

Your Committees have amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2051.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Lower & Higher Education and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2065, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2065, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Lower & Higher Education and Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair

____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair