STAND. COM. REP. NO. 296

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 931

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 931 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an appropriation for the operations of the Early Learning Council.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Kamehameha Schools, the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, the Early Learning Council, and the Good Beginnings Alliance.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Early Learning Council provides valuable guidance and direction to the development of Hawaii's comprehensive early learning system.  Your Committee further finds that the Early Learning Council will be receiving an appropriation in the amount of $250,000 through the Governor's budget.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing the appropriation to the Early Learning Council;

 

     (2)  Requiring the Early Learning Council, with the assistance of the Department of Education, Department of Health, and Department of Human Services, to develop a fiscal mapping study to include the identification and development of a direct funding stream, including private funding, donations, and grants;

 

     (3)  Requiring the Early Learning Council to report its findings on the fiscal mapping study to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

 

     (4)  Amending the effective date to make this measure effective upon its approval.

 

     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 S.B. No. 931, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 931, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair