STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2808

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2257

S.D. 3

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2257, S.D. 2, 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 Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to consider a high school diploma with education and coursework comparable to an associate's degree, as an appropriate qualification for persons who have not received an associate's degree to teach career and technical education in public schools.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that this measure will help the Department of Education to fill career and technical education teacher vacancies while ensuring that licensed educators possess the same or a higher level of knowledge as currently qualified teachers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2024.

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. 2257, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2257, S.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair