STAND. COM. REP. NO. 521-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2193

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 2193 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EARLY CHILDHOOD REGISTRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the needs of Hawaii's early child care and education workforce by requiring and appropriating funds for the Department of Human Services to annually collect certain information from all early child care workers and educators in the State through its early childhood registry.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, AAUW of Hawaii, Hawaii Association of School Psychologists, and nine individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Executive Office on Early Learning.

Your Committee finds that a strong early child care and education workforce is necessary to support Hawaii's children, working families, and communities. Your Committee further finds that a lack of early child care and education workforce data prevents policymakers from understanding the needs of this workforce, which may then lead to inefficiencies regarding early child care education legislation and programs. This measure provides for the collection of robust data on the early child care workforce and education programs by requiring all staff of licensed and registered child care programs to submit certain information to the Department of Human Services on an annual basis.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2193, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2193, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair