STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2411

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3110

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 Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3110 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD CARE GRANT PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Rename the Preschool Grant Program Special Fund to the Child Care Grant Program Special Fund;

(2) Authorize the Child Care Grant Program Special Fund to be used to give grants to child care facilities;

(3) Add federal funds as one of the fund sources for the Child Care Grant Program Special Fund;

(4) Change the legislative report due date for the Preschool Open Doors Special Fund and Child Care Grant Program Special Fund from August 31 to twenty days prior to the start of the next legislative session; and

(5) Remove the authority to expend without an appropriation for the Preschool Open Doors Special Fund and Child Care Grant Program Special Fund statutes to conform to section 5 of article VII of the Hawaii State Constitution.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and Executive Office on Early Learning.

Your Committee finds that through Act 9, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, the Legislature established a child care grant program within the Department of Human Services to support child care providers during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. With each new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, this administrative measure will allow the Department of Human Services to execute similar grant programs for child care facilities without additional legislation when alternative funding, such as federal moneys, become available. Your Committee recognizes that child care grant programs improve the ability of child care facilities to provide safe and qualified child care. Such care will also support parents and care givers' ability to continue employment and other important societal functions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3110, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3110, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair