STAND. COM. REP. NO. 15

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 181

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 181 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to reestablish eligibility for the preschool open doors program to include three- year-old children.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Hawaii Children's Action Network, Kamehameha Schools, Parents and Children Together, Hawai‘i Association for the Education of Young Children, Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii, and four individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that when first established in 1991, the preschool open doors program provided financial assistance to parents of three- and four-year-old children living at or below seventy-five per cent of the state median income.  Act 169, Session Laws of Hawaii 2013, reestablished the preschool open doors program as the statewide school readiness program, but only for children in the year prior to entering kindergarten, namely four-year-olds.  By not providing preschool services to children when they are three years old, their school readiness will likely decrease while they wait to become eligible for these services at four years of age.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 181 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

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JOSH GREEN, Chair