STAND. COM. REP. NO. 174

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 624

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. 624 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a School Psychologists Working Group within the Department of Education to recommend actionable steps or propose legislation to the Legislature for an immediate pathway to licensure for school psychologists in 2026.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Psychology; Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaiʻi Association of School Psychologists; and five individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaiʻi Psychological Association.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is the only state without a pathway to licensure for school psychologists. Your Committee recognizes that school psychologists are essential in helping students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally by providing direct educational and mental health services for children and youth. As there is no statutorily established criteria for licensure for school psychologists, a working group to recommend actionable steps to create a pathway to licensure for school psychologists is needed.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a representative of the Board of Psychology and a representative of the Hawaii Psychological Association to be invited to serve on the School Psychologists Working Group by its Chair;

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

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment 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 H.B. No. 624, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 624, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair