STAND. COM. REP. NO. 787

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 509

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 509, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to incentivize public high schools in the State to strategically prepare students for the workforce by encouraging industry certification in "high value" occupations.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Incentivizes public high schools to encourage students to obtain industry certification in high value occupations by requiring the Department of Education to establish high value employment criteria for industry certification awards to public high schools; and

(2) Appropriates moneys to the Department of Education to carry out this purpose.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The Department of Education submitted written comments on the measure.

Your Committee finds that the State's critical shortages of qualified local workers in sectors such as health, education, air travel, and technology will be addressed by having public high schools encourage their students to pursue industry certification in high value occupations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing specific references to private cross-sector partner organizations with a non-specific description of an organizational mission;

(2) Deleting the appropriation to the Department of Education and any appropriation-related language; and

(3) 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. 509, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 509, 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