STAND. COM. REP. NO. 654

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 531

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 531, 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 authorize the School Facilities Authority to appoint an Executive Director and evaluate their performance annually.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that the School Facilities Authority carries out an important mission to ensure the development, planning, and construction of all public schools in the State. However, for the School Facilities Authority to fulfill its mission to provide students, educators, and communities with high quality and healthy learning environments, the School Facilities Authority requires effective leadership.

Your Committee further finds that presently, the School Facilities Authority Executive Director is appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. This process contrasts with other agencies administratively attached to the Department of Education, such as the Executive Office on Early Learning, the Charter School Commission, and the Hawaii State Public Library System, which appoint their Executive Director through an internal process. To promote uniformity, this measure authorizes the School Facilities Authority to appoint its Executive Director and evaluate the Executive Director's performance annually.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the School Facilities Authority Board, rather than the Authority itself, shall appoint the Executive Director;

(2) Deleting language that would have required the School Facilities Authority Board to evaluate the Executive Director on an annual basis, as the responsibility is already set forth in existing law; and

(3) 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 Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 531, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 531, S.D. 2, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair