STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1397-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2820

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 Labor & Tourism, to which was referred S.B. No. 2820, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for various teacher differentials to address labor shortages in the areas of special education, hard-to-staff geographic locations, and Hawaiian language immersion programs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, University of Hawai‘i System, Executive Office on Early Learning, State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, Hawaii State Teachers Association, McKinley High School Special Education Department, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Rainbow Family 808, Hawaii Association of School Psychologists, Hui for Excellence in Education, Early Childhood Action Strategy, and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Collective Bargaining. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance; Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii; and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that, although the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers are essential to the success of Hawaii's public education system, the State continues to experience a chronic teacher shortage. This shortage is particularly acute in the areas of special education, hard-to-staff geographic locations, and Hawaiian language immersion. Your Committee believes that applying salary differentials for teachers in these areas will help to incentivize qualified teachers to fill these vacancies, thereby reducing associated labor shortages.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Incorporating the teacher effectiveness support system program from Senate Bill No. 2819, S.D. 2, H.D. 1 (2022), which includes automatic step increases in salaries for each year of satisfactory service completed by educational assistants, public school teachers, and principals and vice principals; increases the amount of time available to teachers for collaboration, preparation, and planning; and provides related funding; 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 Labor & Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2820, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2820, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Tourism,

____________________________

RICHARD H.K. ONISHI, Chair