STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2921

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2819

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2819, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER COMPENSATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to address teacher compensation equity issues.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Allows the Department of Education and the governing boards of state public charter schools to adjust teacher salaries to reflect years of teaching experience; and

(2) Appropriates funds for the salary adjustments.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, University of Hawaii, Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission, Aha Kauleo - Statewide Hawaiian Immersion Schools Council, Hawaii Association of School Psychologists, Hawaii State Teachers Association, HE‘E Coalition, Parents for Public Schools of Hawaii, Rainbow Family 808, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, Democratic Party of Hawaii Labor Caucus, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Office of Collective Bargaining.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that authorizing the Department of Education to implement discretionary salary adjustments will help to address pay equity issues for teachers by more closely basing salaries upon years of teaching experience, which, in turn, will help to retain experienced teachers and improve recruitment of new teachers. Your Committee further finds that repealing section 302A-627(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, is necessary to provide the Department of Education with the flexibility to allocate teacher compensation intended by the measure and that the repeal of section 302A-624(c), Hawaii Revised Statutes, regarding teacher classification, is not necessary.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Repealing section 302A-627(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Deleting the repeal of section 302A-624(c), Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(3) Changing the appropriation from charter schools (EDN 600) to charter schools commission and administration (EDN 612);

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2819, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2819, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair