HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2543

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 2

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO ACCESS TO LEARNING.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


PART I.  INTRODUCTION

     SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to:

     (1)  Expand the capacity, resources, affordability, and flexibility of childcare facilities licensed by the department of human services to significantly increase affordable and accessible childcare choices for Hawaii's families, especially those in financial need and in lesser-served areas of the State;

     (2)  Expand the capacity, early learning, and availability of public pre-kindergarten;

     (3)  Offset the cost of living for Hawaii families by subsidizing both childcare and preschool;

     (4)  Clarify the coordination of the continuum of early learning and preschool programs throughout the State;

     (5)  Build the infrastructure and develop the resources necessary to achieve the objective of providing the capacity to serve fifty per cent of all otherwise unserved children who are three to four years of age, or will not be at least five years of age on or before July 31 of the current school year, with access to learning by the year 2027, and providing the capacity to serve one hundred per cent of those children within the same age group with access to learning by the year 2032; and

     (6)  Ensure that the implementation of new and expanded programs pursuant to this Act aligns with other statutory provisions that provide distinctive support for education through the medium of the Hawaiian language.

     This Act is part of the State's early childhood plan to increase access to child care and early learning opportunities for children in the State.

PART II.  DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to subpart C of part IV to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§302A-A  Standardized assessment for students entering kindergarten.  (a)  The board of education shall adopt a student assessment model pursuant to section 302A-1101(a) to assess all students entering kindergarten.

     (b)  Within the first thirty days of each school year, the department shall assess all kindergarten students with the student assessment model; provided that any assessment administered pursuant to this subsection shall be conducted in either English or Hawaiian.

     (c)  The department shall share the information gathered pursuant to this section with the department of human services, executive office on early learning, and public charter school commission to the extent not otherwise prohibited by administrative rule or law.

     §302A-B  Prior early learning programs attendance disclosure.  (a)  At least one parent or guardian of each child entering kindergarten shall disclose to the department the name of, address of, and duration of attendance at the early learning program that the child attended during the previous academic year.  The department may also require the disclosure of any other information not otherwise prohibited by law that would assist the department, the department of human services, and the executive office on early learning in developing, assessing, and implementing strategies to meet the early learning needs of children in the State.  The department and the executive office on early learning shall use the information to assist the executive office on early learning and department of human services in determining the levels of prekindergarten attendance and need for child care in geographic regions of the State and identify the highest priority regions requiring prekindergarten programs and child care to meet the needs of unserved or underserved eligible children.

     (b)  The department may include a request for the information required by subsection (a) on a kindergarten enrollment form or any other appropriate form.

     (c)  The department shall share the information gathered pursuant to this section with the department of human services, executive office on early learning, and public charter school commission to the extent not otherwise prohibited by administrative rule or law."

     SECTION 3.  Chapter 302D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding three new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§302D-A  Standardized assessment for students entering kindergarten.  (a)  The commission shall adopt the student assessment model adopted by the board pursuant to section 302A‑A(a) to assess all charter school students entering kindergarten.

     (b)  Within the first thirty days of each school year, the commission shall ensure that all charter school kindergarten students are assessed by public charter schools with the student assessment model; provided that any assessment administered pursuant to this subsection shall be conducted in either English or Hawaiian.

     (c)  The commission shall share the information gathered from public charter schools pursuant to this section with the department, department of human services, and executive office on early learning to the extent not otherwise prohibited by administrative rule or law.

     §302D-B  Prior early learning programs attendance disclosure.  (a)  At least one parent or guardian of each child entering kindergarten shall disclose to the public charter school at which the child is enrolled the name and address of the early learning program that the child attended during the previous academic year.  Each public charter school shall provide to the commission the information disclosed pursuant to this section.  The commission may also require the disclosure of any other information not otherwise prohibited by law that would assist the department, the department of human services, and the executive office on early learning in developing, assessing, and implementing strategies to meet the early learning needs of children in the State.  The commission and the executive office on early learning shall use the information to assist the department of human services and executive office on early learning in determining the levels of prekindergarten attendance and need for child care in geographic regions of the State and identify the highest priority regions requiring prekindergarten programs and child care to meet the needs of unserved or underserved eligible children and shall provide the information to the department of human services.

     (b)  The commission may include a request for the information required by subsection (a) on a kindergarten enrollment form or any other appropriate form used at all public charter schools.

     (c)  The commission shall share the information gathered pursuant to this section with the department, department of human services, and executive office on early learning to the extent not otherwise prohibited by administrative rule or law.

     §302D-C  Public early learning and preschool programs; administrative authority.  (a)  The commission shall have administrative authority over all state-funded early learning programs and private partnership-funded preschool programs in public charter schools except for special education and Title I-funded prekindergarten programs.

     (b)  The early learning programs in charter schools shall enroll no more than a maximum of twenty children per classroom who are three- or four-years-old on or before July 31 of the school year, as aligned with the department's kindergarten age entry requirements.

     (c)  Subject to the availability of funding, the commission shall implement an application process for schools to establish an early learning program.

     (d)  Each early learning program and preschool program shall meet the following requirements:

     (1)  The availability of a classroom and outdoor play area that meet department of human services requirements for the health and safety of three- and four-year-old children and is exempt from section 346-161 as a public preschool provider;

     (2)  The commitment of the principal to implementing an early learning program, including through active participation in professional development sessions offered through the commission, and promoting continuity and alignment between and across other early learning programs in the community and other grade levels in the school to ensure the positive outcomes of children are sustained;

     (3)  The inclusion of students with disabilities based on individualized education program placement; provided that:

          (A)  The in-classroom ratio of students with disabilities shall be based on the inclusion of children with disabilities in proportion to the general population of the school;

          (B)  Subparagraph (A) does not anticipate or permit imposing caps or quotas on the number of children with disabilities in a program or not individualizing services for children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq., as amended);

          (C)  The department shall collaborate with the charter school to coordinate services for students with disabilities who are placed in the classroom offered through the program; and

          (D)  Funding for all costs associated with the implementation of the individualized education program of students shall be provided through the department;

     (4)  Enrollment in the program shall be free and voluntary;

     (5)  The enrollment shall not exceed twenty children per classroom; and

     (6)  The incorporation of standards that are research-based and developmentally-appropriate practices associated with improved educational outcomes for children, such as:

          (A)  Positive teacher-child interactions that shall be evaluated through observations conducted by the commission using a research-based tool at least twice a year, for the purposes of professional development; provided that the observations shall not be used for the purposes of teacher evaluation;

          (B)  The early learning environment shall be assessed using a tool that measures its effectiveness and shall be conducted at least two times per school year by a certified observer who is employed or contracted by the commission; provided that the teaching staff shall use the assessment data and feedback to improve the quality of the learning environment; provided further that observations shall be used for the purposes of professional development and shall not be used for the purposes of teacher evaluation;

          (C)  Use of individual child formative assessments that are used for ongoing planning relating to all areas of child development and learning including cognitive, linguistic, social emotional approaches to learning, and health and physical development;

          (D)  Family engagement in partnership with charter schools, including conducting outreach for enrollment and engagement of families in their children's education in recognition of families' role as their child's first and most important teacher;

          (E)  Alignment with the Hawaii early learning and development standards, department standards, state content and performance standards, and general learner outcomes for grades kindergarten to twelve to facilitate a seamless educational experience for children;

          (F)  Requirements that any teacher shall have coursework in early childhood education pursuant to Hawaii teacher standards board licensing requirements for a prekindergarten teacher or be enrolled in a state-approved teacher education program and be working toward satisfying the Hawaii teacher standards board licensing requirements; and

          (G)  Requirements that any educational assistant has a current child development associate credential, coursework for a certificate that meets the requirements for child development associate credential preparation, or be enrolled in and working toward completing a program that prepares the individual to obtain the credential.

     (e)  The commission shall monitor the implementation of the educational experience for children.

     (f)  The commission shall provide support to incorporate the standards developed pursuant to subsection (d), including support related to teacher-child interactions, early childhood learning environment, individual child assessments, and family engagement.

     (g)  Teaching staff participating in a program established pursuant to this section shall participate in coaching and mentoring and professional development opportunities offered through the commission; provided that the commission shall cover the associated travel and substitute teacher costs, contingent upon funding availability.  The commission may extend this support, excluding travel and substitute teacher costs, to individuals who are not participating in the program to promote alignment between all grade levels, programs, and settings.

     (h)  School leaders shall attend professional development sessions related to P-3 (preschool to grade three) alignment offered through the commission.  The commission shall cover the costs associated with travel and substitute teacher expenditures, contingent upon the availability of funding.  The commission may extend this support, excluding travel and substitute teacher costs, to individuals who are not participating in the program to promote alignment between all grade levels, programs, and settings.

     (i)  The commission shall work with each charter school to develop and annually update a written three-year plan that promotes, within the school and community, alignment of and transitions between learning experiences, and report on the progress made toward the plan by the end of the school year.

     (j)  The commission shall coordinate with other agencies and programs to facilitate comprehensive services for early learning.

     (k)  The commission shall promote the development of a cohesive, comprehensive, and sustainable early learning system.  The commission shall coordinate with other early learning providers, including those providing the programs and services, to promote alignment between prekindergarten and elementary school programs and to support children and their families in making successful transitions from prekindergarten into kindergarten.

     (l)  The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 for the purpose of this section.

     (m)  The commission shall submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session regarding state-funded early learning programs in charter schools.  The report shall include, as related to each type of program:

     (1)  The number and location of classrooms;

     (2)  Sources of funding for each classroom;

     (3)  Aggregated data reflecting the quality of teacher-child interactions relating to emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support;

     (4)  Aggregated data reflecting the quality of the early learning environment and the teacher-child interactions that maximize the learning opportunities of the environment; and

     (5)  Aggregated student outcomes related to all areas of child development and learning, including cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional approaches to learning and health and physical development, as assessed using a formative assessment tool selected or approved by the commission.

This reported data shall be compiled from the previously state-funded school year."

     SECTION 4.  Section 302L-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§302L-5  Early learning [trust fund.] special fund.  (a)  There is established within the state treasury the early learning [trust fund,] special fund, to be administered by the executive office on early learning, into which shall be deposited all moneys received by the office in the form of:

     (1)  Fees;

     (2)  Grants;

     (3)  Donations;

     (4)  Appropriations made by the legislature to the fund; and

     (5)  Revenues regardless of their source,

and earnings on moneys in the fund.  Moneys in the fund shall be used for the early learning system.  Expenditures from the fund may be made by the office without appropriation or allotment.

     (b)  The office shall submit an annual report to the legislature, no later than August 31, on the sources of moneys deposited into the fund and expenditures of the moneys in the fund."

     SECTION 5.  Section 302L-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

     1.  By amending subsection (a) to read:

     "(a)  There is established within the early learning system an early childhood education program to be known as the executive office on early learning public prekindergarten program and to be administered by the office pursuant to rules adopted by the office.  The program shall:

     (1)  Be provided through the executive office on early learning, which shall partner with the department of education [and state public charter school commission] through either a memorandum of agreement or memorandum of understanding pursuant to the requirements of this section;

     (2)  Prepare children for school and active participation in society through the use of either of the State's two official languages; and

     (3)  Provide access to high-quality early learning that addresses children's physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development."

     2.  By amending subsections (o) and (p) to read:

     "(o)  The office shall collect data with assistance from the department of education [and state public charter school commission], based on a schedule to be determined by the office, to:

     (1)  Evaluate the services provided;

     (2)  Inform policy; and

     (3)  Make any improvements to the program.

     (p)  The department of education [and any public charter school existing pursuant to chapter 302D,] may use available classrooms for public preschool programs statewide.  [The office shall give priority to public charter schools that serve high populations of underserved or at-risk children.]  Preschool classrooms established pursuant to this section shall be in addition to any classrooms used for the pre-plus program established pursuant to section 302L-1.7."

     SECTION 6.  Section 312-2.1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:

     "[[](d)[]]  The state librarian shall collect, purchase, receive gifts of, and otherwise acquire all books and other publications proper for libraries, and arrange, classify, and catalog the same; provide for their safekeeping; expend moneys appropriated by the legislature and otherwise acquired for the development, use, support, and maintenance of libraries[;] and other related purposes; provide ways and means for placing libraries within reach of all residents throughout the State and particularly of all public and private school children; provide and maintain branch libraries, offices, or places for the distribution of books and periodicals throughout the State; enter into contracts as may be necessary to carry into effect the general duties herein imposed; appoint such officers and employees as deemed necessary, all of whom shall be under the authority of the governor for purposes of chapters 76, 78, 89, and 89C; and adopt rules for the management and use of libraries, and for the control of the property under its management."

PART III.  DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

     SECTION 7.  Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding four new sections to subpart D of part VIII to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§346-A  Preschool open doors special fund.  (a)  There is established within the state treasury the preschool open doors special fund, to be administered by the department's child care assistance program, into which shall be deposited all moneys received by the department's child care assistance program in the form of:

     (1)  Fees;

     (2)  Grants;

     (3)  Donations;

     (4)  Appropriations made by the legislature to the fund; and

     (5)  Revenues regardless of their source,

and earnings on moneys in the fund.  Moneys in the fund shall be used for the procurement of health and human services under the preschool open doors program.  Expenditures from the fund may be made by the department without appropriation or allotment but shall not be made for capital improvement projects.

     (b)  The department shall submit an annual report to the legislature, no later than August 31, on the sources of moneys deposited into the fund and expenditures of moneys in the fund.

     §346-B  Preschool grant program special fund; established.  (a)  There is established within the state treasury the preschool grant program special fund, to be administered by the department, into which shall be deposited:

     (1)  Donations to the fund;

     (2)  Appropriations made by the legislature to the fund;

     (3)  Revenues regardless of their source; and

     (4)  Earnings on moneys in the fund.

     (b)  The department shall expend moneys in the special fund to award funds to private entities for the operating costs of new preschools or expansion of existing preschools at the private entity's place of business.

     (c)  Expenditures from the fund may be made by the department without appropriation or allotment.

     (d)  Any grant awarded pursuant to this section or expenditure of funds for the administration of the preschool open doors program shall be exempt from chapters 103D and 103F.  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to effectuate the grant program.

     (e)  The department shall submit an annual report to the legislature, no later than August 31, on the sources of moneys deposited into the fund and expenditures of moneys in the fund.

§346-C  Preschool open doors program; provider accreditation.  (a)  Each service provider of the preschool open doors program shall be accredited or shall obtain accreditation within seven calendar years of first receiving any funds from the preschool open doors program; provided that any existing service provider unaccredited on July 1, 2020, shall commence the accreditation process no later than July 1, 2022, and obtain accreditation by July 1, 2027; provided further that the director may grant to any service provider one or more extensions to obtain accreditation on a case-by-case basis.

(b)  Accreditation under this section shall be obtained from one or more of the following national early learning accrediting organizations:

     (1)  National Association for the Education of Young Children;

     (2)  National Early Childhood Program Accreditation;

     (3)  National Association for Family Child Care; or

     (4)  An accrediting organization approved by the director; provided that the accrediting organization is comparable to the organizations specified in paragraphs (1) through (3).

     (c)  Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), a service provider may receive or continue to receive funding through the preschool open doors program if the service provider maintains a satisfactory performance rating under the Classroom Assessment Scoring System developed by the University of Virginia and performed in conformance with United States Department of Health and Human Services guidelines.

     (d)  The department shall provide operational and financial support to service providers to assist the service providers in obtaining accreditation.  The department may contract with a private entity to assist service providers in obtaining accreditation.

     §346-D  Preschool open doors; procurement exemption.  Effective July 1, 2020, any expenditure of funds by the department to implement, operate, or expand the preschool open doors program may be made without regard to chapters 103D and 103F."

     SECTION 8.  Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part VIII to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§346-     Prior early learning program information.  (a)  The department shall establish or augment an existing database to collect and analyze information it receives from the department of education pursuant to sections 302A-A and 302A-B and the state public charter school commission pursuant to sections 302D-A and 302D-B and any other information the department may collect on all children in the State who are three to four years old and children who will not be at least five years of age on or before July 31 of the current school year.

     (b)  To the extent not prohibited by administrative rule or law, the department, department of education, public charter school commission, and executive office on early learning shall share any information gathered pursuant to sections 302A-A, 302A-B, 302D‑A, and 302D-B with each other, along with any other information the department, department of education, or public charter school commission may collect on all children in the State who are three to four years old and children who will not be at least five years of age on or before July 31 of the current school year.

     (c)  Any procurement executed pursuant to this section shall be exempt from chapters 103D and 103F."

     SECTION 9.  Section 346-181, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (b) and (c) to read as follows:

     "(b)  Subject to the availability of funds, the program shall serve three- and four-year-old children[,] who are in the two years prior to kindergarten entry pursuant to section 302A‑411, with priority extended [to:] in the following order to any:

    [(1)  Children who are not eligible to attend public school kindergarten in the calendar year in which they turn five years of age because their birth date occurs after the kindergarten eligibility date pursuant to section 302A-411; and

     (2)] (1)  Underserved or at-risk [children,] four-year-old child who was previously served as a three-year-old child, as defined by rules adopted by the department[.];

     (2)  Four-year-old child who was previously served as a three-year-old child;

     (3)  Four-year-old child;

     (4)  Underserved or at-risk three-year-old child, as defined by rules adopted by the department; and

     (5)  Three-year-old child.

     (c)  Enrollment in the program shall be voluntary.  A parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the program [shall] may share in the costs of the program through a copayment according to a sliding fee scale that is based on need pursuant to rules adopted by the department."

     SECTION 10.  There are established twelve permanent full-time equivalent (12.0 FTE) positions for the preschool open doors program within the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 11.  There is appropriated out of federal funds deposited in the state treasury the sum of $5,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the  department of human services to expand its information technology system for the purpose of managing the information  collected pursuant to this Act.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

PART IV.  OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

     SECTION 12.  Chapter 26, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new part to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"Part    .  Early learning

     §26-     Benchmarks; duties.  (a)  The department of human services and the executive office on early learning shall ensure access to learning through preschool programs that meet or exceed the following benchmarks:

     (1)  Fifty per cent of all otherwise unserved children who are three to four years of age, or will not be at least five years of age on or before July 31 of the current school year, shall have access to enrollment in a preschool program by December 31, 2027; and

     (2)  One hundred per cent of all children who are three to four years of age, or will not be at least five years of age on or before July 31 of the current school year, shall have access to enrollment in a preschool program by December 31, 2032.

The department of human services and the executive office on early learning shall submit an annual report to the legislature, no later than August 31 of each year, on the progress toward achieving the benchmarks until all children who are three to four years of age, or will not be at least five years of age on or before July 31 of the current school year, are enrolled in a preschool program.

     (b)  The department of human services and the executive office on early learning shall collaborate to identify the need for child care and early learning in geographic regions of the State and consider using public facilities including schools, libraries, and the university of Hawaii system as locations for child care and early learning programs.

     (c)  The department of human services may create programs and private sector delivery systems that can pose the essential information and policy questions, monitor the progress of the implementation of this part, and generate timely detailed reports to the extent allowable by law.

     (d)  The department of human services shall facilitate and support data sharing among public and private entities to the extent not otherwise prohibited by law or rule."

     SECTION 13.  Section 27-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§27-7[]]  Departmental data sharing.  (a)  The department of education, the University of Hawaii, the department of labor and industrial relations, and other state agencies, as appropriate, shall share data to support research that will improve educational and workforce outcomes and meet the longitudinal data requirements of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, as amended.  The data to be shared shall be determined jointly by the department of education, the University of Hawaii, the department of labor and industrial relations, and other state agencies, as appropriate, and shall be shared no less than annually.

     (b)  The department of education, the University of Hawaii, the department of labor and industrial relations, and other state agencies, as appropriate, shall share data in a manner that safeguards the confidentiality of student education records, as defined by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and workforce data, as provided by applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations.

     (c)  All data shared by or with the department of human services, department of education, public charter school authorizers, public charter schools, executive office on early learning, and other entities as required by statute shall be subject to any administrative rule regarding privacy adopted by the department or agency that collected the data.

     [(c)] (d)  The department of education, the University of Hawaii, the department of labor and industrial relations, and other state agencies, as appropriate, shall establish a data governance and access committee that meets on a quarterly basis to determine protocols to:

     (1)  Prioritize analyses and research questions that will provide information to improve educational and workforce outcomes and policies; and

     (2)  Approve requests for access to data provided by the department of education, the University of Hawaii, the department of labor and industrial [[]relations[]], and other state agencies, as appropriate.

     [(d)] (e)  All state agency directors shall consider sharing data for the statewide longitudinal data system."

PART V.  HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION

     SECTION 14.  Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to subpart E of part V to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§304A-     Hawaiian early learning trust fund.  (a)  There is established the Hawaiian early learning trust fund, into which shall be deposited:

     (1)  Donations to the fund;

     (2)  Appropriations made by the legislature to the fund;

     (3)  Revenues regardless of their source; and

     (4)  Earnings on moneys in the fund.

     (b)  The university of Hawaii at Hilo shall expend moneys in the trust fund for purposes of Hawaiian early learning.

     (c)  The university of Hawaii shall submit an annual report to the legislature, no later than August 31, on the sources of moneys deposited into the fund and expenditures of moneys from the fund."

     SECTION 15.  There is appropriated out of the Hawaiian early learning trust fund the sum of $5,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the purpose of assisting Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani, in partnership with the Imiloa astronomy center and other public or private partners as appropriate or required by law, to build two or more classrooms for Hawaiian language medium pre-kindergarten programs that shall be used to establish a pathway for the development of other Hawaiian language medium pre-kindergarten and Hawaiian language immersion classes.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the university of Hawaii at Hilo for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 16.  The standards, assessments, performance ratings, staff qualifications, and staff training requirements established by this Act shall not apply to any laboratory school program of the Hawaiian language college at the university of Hawaii at Hilo until July 1, 2026.

PART VI.  LIBRARIES

     SECTION 17.  Chapter 312, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§312-     Early learning classrooms and services on public library property; authorized.  (a)  The Hawaii state public library system, in consultation and partnership with the department of human services or the executive office on early learning, may establish new early learning classrooms and contract for early learning services licensed by the department of human services or authorized by the executive office on early learning at any library under the jurisdiction of the Hawaii state public library system; provided that:

     (1)  The entity with which the Hawaii state public library system partners to establish a new early learning classroom shall be the same entity responsible for the oversight of that early learning classroom; and

     (2)  The oversight of that early learning classroom shall be conducted pursuant to administrative rules adopted by that entity.

     (b)  The planning, constructing, equipping, and operating of new early learning classrooms and the contracting of early learning services shall not be subject to chapters 103D or 103F."

     SECTION 18.  There is appropriated out of federal funds deposited in the state treasury the sum of $3,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for early learning classrooms and services on public library property.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii state public library system for the purposes of this part.

PART VII.  MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

     SECTION 19.  In codifying the new sections added by sections 2, 3, and 7 of this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute appropriate section numbers for the letters used in designating the new sections in this Act.

     SECTION 20.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 21.  This Act shall take effect upon approval; provided that:

     (1)  Sections 10, 11, 15, and 18 shall take effect on July 1, 2020;

     (2)  Section 2; sections 302D-A and 302D-B, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as set forth in section 3; section 8; and section 13 shall take effect on July 1, 2022; and

     (3)  Section 12 shall take effect on July 1, 2024.



 

Report Title:

DHS; DOE; Preschool Open Doors Program; Executive Office on Early Learning; Appropriation

 

Description:

Requires parents or guardians of public school and charter school kindergarten students to disclose information on the student's prior child care program or prekindergarten attendance, if any, for the purpose of determining areas having the highest need for prekindergarten and child care programs.  Requires assessment of public school and charter school kindergarten students.  Removes public charter school prekindergarten programs from the administrative authority of the Executive Office on Early Learning.  Establishes that the State Public Charter School Commission has administrative authority over all state-funded early learning programs in public charter schools.  Establishes the preschool open doors special fund.  Expands Preschool Open Doors Program eligibility from 4-year-old children to all children who are 3 to 4 years old who are in the 2 years prior to kindergarten entry.  Requires annual reporting regarding the revenues and expenditures of the early learning special fund.  Establishes a program for Department of Human Services to award grants for preschools.  Authorizes positions for the Preschool Open Doors Program.  Appropriates funds for Department of Human Services to expand its information technology system for the purpose of managing information on prekindergarten attendance and child care need and to contract for and operate preschool and child care programs.  Establishes the goal of providing all children who are 3 to 4 years old who are in the 2 years prior to kindergarten entry with enrollment in a preschool program by the year 2030.  Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii for building classrooms for Hawaiian language immersion pre-kindergarten programs.  Appropriates funds for building early learning services classrooms on public library property.  (SD2)

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.