STAND. COM. REP. NO.  919

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1362

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1362, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish the Hawaii Early Childhood Educator Stipend Program; and

 

     (2)  Clarify and make adjustments to Act 46, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, which relates to access to learning, to reflect the current situation brought upon by the COVID2019 pandemic, including:

 

          (A)  Delaying the expansion of the Preschool Open Doors Program to serve three-year-old children to July 1, 2024;

 

          (B)  Extending the deadline for a service provider of the Preschool Open Doors Program to commence national accreditation by two years;

 

          (C)  Requiring the application of a uniform assessment for public school and charter school kindergarten students;

 

          (D)  Extending the effective date for the Department of Education and State Public Charter School Commission to share certain information on prior early learning program attendance to July 1, 2023; and

 

          (E)  Allowing educational data to be shared using an existing system.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Early Learning Board; Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!; Hui for Excellence in Education; Special Education Advisory Council; Parents and Children Together; and Early Childhood Action Strategy.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Human Services, Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, Executive Office on Early Learning, and Kamehameha Schools.

 

     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 H.B. No. 1362, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair