STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1825-22

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 Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2820, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Provide and fund automatic step increases in salaries for each year of satisfactory service completed by educational assistants, public school teachers, and principals and vice principals;

(2) Increase the amount of time available to teachers for collaboration, preparation, and planning, and appropriate funds for this increase; and

(3) Appropriate funds for various teacher differentials to help 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 University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, Special Education Advisory Council, Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, Rainbow Family 808, Democratic Party of Hawaii Labor Caucus, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Hui for Excellence in Education, Early Childhood Action Strategy, McKinley High School Special Education Department, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!, and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Office of Collective Bargaining. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education; Department of the Attorney General; Board of Education; Employees' Retirement System; Executive Office on Early Learning; and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2820, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair