STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1129

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1106

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 1106, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM CHILD CARE LICENSING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to exempt certain child care programs from licensing by the Department of Human Services.

 

     More specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Clarifies that child care programs licensed or certified by the United States Department of Defense that are located on federal property are exempt from licensing by the Department of Human Services; and

 

(2)  Exempts child care programs licensed by the Hawaii Council of Private Schools from licensing by the Department of Human Services, upon the provision of evidence that certain standards and monitoring requirements are met.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, the Executive Office on Early Learning, and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.

 

     Testimony in opposition of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children.

 

Your Committee finds that child care programs licensed or certified by the United States Department of Defense, whose standards exceed the standards of the Department of Human Services, make the requirement for additional licensing by the Department of Human Services for these programs unnecessary.  This measure also permits exemption of child care programs licensed by the Hawaii Council of Private Schools from the licensing requirement by the Department of Human Services if the licensing standards of the Hawaii Council of Private Schools meet or exceed the licensing standards of the Department of Human Services for a comparable program.  Accordingly, your Committee finds that this measure ensures that all child care programs in the State attain a certain standard and enables the Department of Human Services to more effectively utilize their resources.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 2, 2014.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1106, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1106, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair