STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2140

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2818

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. 2818 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish and fund a Summer Learning Coordinator position within the Department of Education.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawai‘i Afterschool Alliance, Hui for Excellence, Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawai‘i Association of School Psychologists, Science Camps of America, Puakalehua Early Learning Consortium, CARE Arts and Recreation Education Services, and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that summer learning programs have a proven record of providing the support that students need. These programs enrich the academic experience and provide opportunities for social-emotional support. Summer learning programs also provide healthy meals, active play, and hands-on vocational experiences. Importantly, your Committee finds that struggling students and children from low-income households often experience the greatest gains from summer learning programs.

Accordingly, this measure establishes and funds a Summer Learning Coordinator position within the Department of Education to coordinate all school-based summer programs for children, including but not limited to the public summer school, e-school summer program, Credit Recovery summer program, alternative learning summer programs, and other school-based summer programs. Additionally, the Summer Learning Coordinator is encouraged to work with the Department of Human Services to leverage federal funds for school-based summer programs for children.

Your Committee notes the testimony from the Department of Human Services, which stated that the department may not use federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and state Maintenance of Effort funds for any educational activities that are components of the State's free public education system.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the requirement that the Summer Learning Coordinator work with the Department of Human Services to leverage federal funds for school-based summer programs for children and to address the testimony of the Department of Human Services; 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. 2818, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2818, 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