STAND. COM. REP. NO. 339

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 621

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. 621 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Education to pay salary differentials for English learner educators; and

(2) Appropriate funds to fund the pay differentials.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights; Hawaiʻi Friends of Civil Rights; Waipahu Safe Haven Immigrant/Migrant Resource Center; Secondary Student Conference Student Achievement Committee; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Collective Bargaining. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and State Public Charter School Commission.

Your Committee finds that there is a critical shortage of qualified English language learner educators in Hawaii, which is having a detrimental impact on the education of students whose primary language is not English. Your Committee further finds that providing a pay differential to English language educators is a proven strategy to incentivize skilled professionals to enter and remain in the profession.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000.

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. 621, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 621, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair