STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2557

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2234

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2234, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the child care licensing exemption for child care programs that are licensed by the Hawaii Council of Private Schools.

     Additionally, this measure appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to license private child care programs.

     The Department of Human Services, the Executive Office on Early Learning, and the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children submitted written comments in support of the measure.

     Your Committee finds that the repeal of the licensing exemption will ensure that all children in early childhood programs that serve children up to kindergarten will be required to meet the health and safety licensing standards of the Department of Human Services.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2234, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DAVID Y. IGE, Chair