STAND. COM. REP. NO. 47

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 323

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. 323 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for the Teacher Housing Assistance Program to provide housing vouchers to certain eligible teachers.

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; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education; Department of the Attorney General; and Hawaii Government Employees Association AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that there is a severe shortage of qualified teachers in the State. Your Committee believes that major contributing factors to this shortage are the State's high cost of living and lack of affordable housing. Your Committee believes that this measure will alleviate the financial burden on teachers in obtaining housing by providing housing vouchers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language establishing standards for the distribution of the funds appropriated in this measure as housing vouchers under the Teacher Housing Assistance Program;

(2) Changing the maximum amount for a housing voucher to an unspecified amount;

(3) Specifying that teachers who are eligible for participation in the Teacher Housing Assistance Program include teachers employed by a charter school;

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

(5) 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 $500 per month as the maximum amount for a housing voucher under the Teacher Housing Assistance 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. 323, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 323, 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