STAND. COM. REP. NO. 345

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 637

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. 637 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require schools to administer Department of Education‑approved dyslexia‑sensitive universal screening as a part of the universal screening process;

(2) Implement evidence-based interventions for students who are identified as having dyslexia and students who are flagged as having language and literacy challenges through the Hawaii multi-tiered system of supports;

(3) Provide professional development for teachers to increase the implementation of structured literacy instruction; and

(4) Support pre-service teacher programs in training their general and special education teacher candidates in structured literacy instruction.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; State Council on Developmental Disabilities; HawaiiKidsCAN; Early Childhood Action Strategy; Renaissance Learning; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Lou's Quality Home Health Care Services, LLC; Advanced Care Training, LLC; and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Education is striving to address poor reading proficiency rates by administering a universal screener at the beginning, middle, and end of the year for all students from kindergarten to grade nine to identify students who may be at risk for reading failure and to provide evidence-based interventions to support these students. However, not all universal screeners are able to detect or identify students who may have certain underlying language challenges that impact learning, which is problematic because students with dyslexia or other developmental language disorders may need more intensive support or a more individualized intervention program to address the causes of their reading challenges. This measure will support students with dyslexia and students with language and literacy challenges, which will enable these young students to achieve academic success in an effective and efficient manner.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Appropriating an unspecified amount of funds to the Department of Education for dyslexia-sensitive universal screeners;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $750,000 for dyslexia-sensitive universal screeners.

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. 637, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 637, 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