STAND. COM. REP. NO. 340

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 863

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. 863 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Education for teacher-requested classroom supplies.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; State Public Charter School Commission; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that nationwide, teachers spend an average of $500 out of pocket on their classrooms each year. This measure appropriates funds to the Department of Education to provide teachers with their requested classroom supplies and will alleviate the financial burden on teachers in acquiring their own supplies.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the amount appropriated to an unspecified amount; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $3,000,000 for teacher-requested classroom supplies.

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. 863, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 863, 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