STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1651

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1329

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to support the efforts of the Early Learning Council (Council) to develop the State's early learning system by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying the membership on the Council;

 

     (2)  Directing the Council to develop a plan to ensure that the needs of junior kindergarteners are addressed;

 

     (3)  Renaming the Keiki First Steps Trust Fund as the Early Learning Trust Fund (Trust Fund); and

 

     (4)  Specifying that any unexpended general fund appropriations for fiscal year 2008-2009 designated for the early learning system shall lapse into the Trust Fund on June 30, 2009.

 

     The Department of Education, Early Learning Council, Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Good Beginnings Alliance, and Aloha United Way supported this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance opposed this bill.  The Department of Human Services offered comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the provisions that lapse unexpended general fund appropriations designated for the early learning system into the Trust Fund on June 30, 2009; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1329, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair