STAND. COM. REP. NO. 462

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 961

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. 961 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a two-year pilot program for two certified librarians to provide rotating support services to schools in one school complex on Oahu and one school complex on a neighbor island; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the certified librarian positions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Hawaiʻi Library Association; Hawaiʻi Association of School Librarians; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that out of the two hundred fifty-eight public elementary, middle, intermediate, and high schools throughout Hawaii, only seventy-five have a full-time or part-time librarian position filled to support student learning in 2025. Your Committee further finds that establishing a pilot program to provide rotating support services provided by a certified librarian between schools will help bolster library services in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the amount appropriated and the number of positions to be funded to unspecified amounts;

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

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment 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 $132,308, to be allocated as follows:

(1) $66,154 for one twelve-month state office-level teacher position, to be filled by a certified librarian, for a school complex on Oahu; and

(2) $66,154 for one twelve-month state office-level teacher position, to be filled by a certified librarian, for a school complex on an island other than Oahu.

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. 961, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 961, 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