STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 563
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.B. No. 241
H.D. 1
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 241, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD CARE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Early Learning Board; American Association of University Women of Hawaii; Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Early Childhood Action Strategy; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; and seven individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning.
Your Committee finds that the State is facing a severe child care shortage, with licensed and regulated child care settings having the capacity to serve fewer than twenty percent of children from birth to age five. This leaves families across Hawaii with a lack of options for safe and reliable child care. Your Committee believes that this measure will increase access to early learning for Hawaii's children through a pilot program that will contract directly with child care center providers in licensed infant and toddler child care centers and group child care centers to add additional child care services options for families.
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 H.B. No. 241, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,
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____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair |
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