STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1160

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 429

H.D. 1

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. 429, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to hire teachers and teacher assistants and for equipment and services for public preschools.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor; Department of Human Services; State Public Charter School Commission; Executive Office on Early Learning; Early Learning Board; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Hawaiʻi Business Roundtable; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Kamehameha Schools; Linapuni Elementary School; Helemano Elementary School; Lanaʻi High and Elementary School; Kaʻiulani Elementary School; Kaʻala Elementary School; Kalihi Elementary School; Hāna High and Elementary School; and four individuals.

Your Committee finds that access to public preschool programs provides the State's youngest students with critical development in the skills necessary for kindergarten readiness and future academic careers. However, the State is experiencing a chronic shortage of educators, including highly qualified early childhood teachers and assistants. Additionally, as public preschool classrooms are built on existing school campuses, ensuring adequate equipment and services for prospective and current students will allow the State to achieve its commitment to provide free universal public preschool education to all children. Therefore, this measure extends support for public preschool programs to expand and maintain existing educational operations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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. 429, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 429, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair