STAND. COM. REP. NO. 540

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 880

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 880, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY CHILD INTERVENTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Human Resources Development to reclassify certain positions within the Early Childhood Services unit of the Department of Health Early Intervention Section; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the reclassification of certain positions and establishment of Mental Health Specialist positions within the Early Childhood Services Unit of the Department of Health Early Intervention section.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning; Department of Health; Hawaiʻi Early Intervention Coordinating Council; Early Childhood Action Strategy; Commit to Keiki; Association for Infant Mental Health in Hawaiʻi; and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development.

Your Committee finds that the State faces a critical shortage of certain early intervention specialists which negatively impacts the amount of developmental support the State can provide to infants under the age of three who exhibit developmental or learning delays. Your Committee believes that this measure addresses the shortage of early intervention employees that can provide early intervention services by appropriating funds to establish new positions within the Early Childhood Services Unit of the Department of Health.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing language that would require the Department of Human Resources Development to reclassify certain positions; 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 Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 880, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 880, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair