STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1275

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 329

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 329, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SCHOOL FACILITIES AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Clarify that the School Facilities Authority is responsible for projects for facilities for:

(A) Prekindergarten, preschool, child care, and early learning programs;

(B) Workforce housing; and

(C) Any public school development, planning, and construction assigned by the Legislature, Governor, or Board of Education;

(2) Authorize the School Facilities Authority to use the Department of Education for certain recruitment and hiring responsibilities; and

(3) Authorize the School Facilities Authority to partner with public and private development agencies to develop prekindergarten facilities.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the School Facilities Authority, Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!, and two individuals.

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

Your Committee finds that the School Facilities Authority was established to effectuate the development, planning, and construction of public school projects, including new school buildings and major renovation of existing school facilities. However, overlapping responsibilities between the School Facilities Authority and the Department of Education has created confusion regarding school facilities, requiring further clarity to effectuate its statutory mandate. As the State seeks to address aging infrastructure within the Department of Education, ensuring clear delineation of statutory responsibilities will assist agencies with streamlining operations to provide Hawaii's students with facilities necessary for a high quality education. Therefore, this measure promotes operational efficiency between the School Facilities Authority and the Department of Education to ensure both state agencies can achieve statutory mandates and expeditious completion of projects benefitting the educational community.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that workforce housing for educators and other education workers may be constructed on school property or other property;

(2) Clarifying that the School Facilities Authority shall not be responsible for the repair and maintenance of any Department of Education facilities;

(3) Deleting language that would have authorized the School Facilities Authority to utilize the Department of Education for certain recruitment and hiring responsibilities;

(4) Inserting appropriations to the School Facilities Authority for the following:

(A) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026 for a new middle school in central Maui;

(B) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026 for a new elementary school in Lahaina; and

(C) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026 for a teacher housing project in Mililani;

(5) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

(6) 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 H.B. No. 329, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 329, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair