STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2185

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2816

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2816 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION GRANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish and administer the Strong Students Grant Pilot Program to provide grants to eligible students for eligible education expenses; and

(2) Require progress reports to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, State Public Charter Schools Commission, HawaiiKidsCAN, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that recent disruptions to student learning and increased reliance on remote learning have exacerbated the challenge for low-income families to purchase necessary school supplies and equipment for children. Your Committee thus finds that the grant program created by this measure will help families in need to afford critical supplies for the education of children in the State.

Your Committee notes the testimony of the Department of Education regarding equitable concerns related to income and family size qualifications for the pilot program created by this measure.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making amendments to require the Department of Education to adopt rules regarding the prioritization of grant awards to equitably account for family size; and

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

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. 2816, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2816, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair