STAND. COM. REP. NO. 463

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 962

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. 962 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Education to establish and administer a two-year school librarian pilot program to provide financial support to Department of Education schools for the hiring of qualified librarians.

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 a well-equipped and staffed library is essential for fostering student learning, personal growth, and academic success. Your Committee further finds that only twenty-four percent of Hawaii's public schools are staffed with licensed school librarians. This measure establishes a pilot program to provide funding for schools to hire qualified librarians and provide students of the State with a key resource to succeed through school librarians.

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. 962, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 962, 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