STAND. COM. REP. NO. 173

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1188

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. 1188 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER WORKFORCE HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a Teacher Workforce Housing Stipend Program (Program) to support teacher retention at public schools designated as rural or in an underserved area.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Education; and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that certain areas of Hawaii face significant challenges in attracting and retaining qualified educators due to limited affordable housing options and the State's high cost of living. Addressing teacher retention is critical to reducing educational disparities and ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities for every student in public and charter schools. This measure would provide financial assistance for housing through a Teacher Workforce Housing Stipend Program and will support teacher retention while alleviating economic burdens and encouraging educators to make long-term commitments to teaching in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the Teacher Workforce Housing Stipend Program is to support teacher retention at any public school and charter school that is designated as hard-to-staff;

(2) Clarifying that an individual shall be eligible for stipend consideration if the individual does not own a residence;

(3) Changing the stipend award amount to an unspecified amount;

(4) Clarifying that the terms and conditions set by the Department of Education for the repayment of stipends include circumstances under which recipients may be eligible for deferment or forgiveness in certain situations;

(5) Specifying that stipends repaid by a stipend recipient shall be deposited into the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund;

(6) Authorizing the Department of Education to:

(A) Accept federal funds to support the Program;

(B) Enter into written contracts with collection agencies to collect delinquent repayments of stipends owed to the Department; and

(C) Adopt rules to implement and administer the Program;

(7) Amending the purpose and uses of the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund to accept stipend repayments and use funds for the Program;

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

(9) 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 $1,000 per month as the stipend award amount under the Teacher Workforce Housing Stipend Program.

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. 1188, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1188, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Housing.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair