STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1240-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2183

S.D. 2

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 Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2183, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt certain Department of Education employees from the state residency requirement under section 78-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that with the expansion of telework options and improvements in infrastructure, the hiring of professionals for certain positions within the Department of Education to work remotely has the potential to satisfy critical hiring needs in a fiscally prudent manner. Your Committee further finds that this measure allows to the Department of Education to satisfy these critical hiring needs by allowing the Department to hire non-resident employees. While this measure will provide the Department of Education with hiring flexibility, your Committee believes that the exemption from the residency requirement should not apply to teachers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Providing that the exemption from the state residency requirement shall not apply to teachers;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2051; and

(3) 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 Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2183, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2183, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair