STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1285

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 624

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 Committees on Education and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 624, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to create a School Psychologists Working Group to recommend actionable steps or propose legislation for an immediate pathway to licensure for school psychologists that can be acted upon in 2026.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Board of Psychology; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association; Hawaiʻi Psychological Association; Hawaiʻi Association of School Psychologists; and four individuals.

Your Committees find that school psychologists serve in a critical role in supporting students' academic, social, and emotional well-being. Presently, Hawaii is the only state that does not license school psychologists. As school psychologists provide crucial support for students at various stages of development, ensuring school psychologists are highly qualified will allow students to receive effective and continuous treatment. Therefore, this measure will enable stakeholders to establish credentialing and professional accountability standards to support students at Department of Education schools.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 624, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 624, 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 Committees on Education and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair