STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1192

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 423

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 423, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EARLY LEARNING BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Add the Director of the Head Start State Collaboration Office as an ex officio, non-voting member of the Early Learning Board;

(2) Require the Early Learning Board to invite the President of the Head Start Association of Hawaii, or the President's designee, to serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the Board; and

(3) Require the Early Learning Board to invite a representative of local providers of early childhood education and development services to serve as an ex officio, non-voting member if no voting member fulfills that role.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Early Learning Board and Executive Office on Early Learning Center.

Your Committee finds that the federal Head Start Act directs the governor of an applicable state to designate or establish a council to serve as the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care pursuant to section 642B of the Head Start Act.

Your Committee further finds that the State Advisory Council in Hawaii is the Early Learning Board. This measure will align state law with the federal Head Start Act by adding the Head Start State Collaboration Office Director as an ex officio member of the Early Learning Board and inviting the President of the Head Start Association of Hawaii, or the President's designee, to join the Board in a non-voting capacity.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

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 S.B. No. 423, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 423, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair