STAND. COM. REP. NO. 301

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1106

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1106 entitled:

 

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

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow a child care program licensed by the United States Department of Defense and the Hawaii Council of Private Schools to be exempt from licensing by the Department of Human Services; provided that the child care program licensed by the Hawaii Council of Private Schools must apply and show evidence that the licensing standards of the Council meet or exceed the licensing standards of the Department of Human Services; provided further that the standards include a monitoring system that ensures compliance with the standards.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and Executive Office on Early Learning.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.

 

     Your Committees find that the kindergartens, schools, or child care programs to be exempted in this measure are already licensed or certified by the United States Department of Defense and located on federal property.  The licensing and certification standards of the United States Department of Defense exceed the Department of Human Services' standards.

 

Your Committees further find that the Department of Human Services does not have jurisdiction over child care programs located on federal property.  It is an administrative burden for the Department of Human Services to also license these programs that are already licensed or certified by another entity.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1106, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1106, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair