STAND. COM. REP. NO. 734

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 12

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 12 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to develop and implement a housing voucher program for full-time teachers employed by the Department of Education or at a public charter school.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, and Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Your Committee finds that housing subsidy vouchers are an effective tool to increase public school teacher retention.

Your Committee notes that the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation has requested a minimum of 22.5 full-time equivalent positions and a $1,000,000 general fund appropriation to staff the housing voucher program.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the maximum voucher amount of $500 is a monthly amount;

(2) Limiting the beneficiaries of the voucher program to full-time teachers employed at hard-to-fill public schools, including public charter schools, as identified by the Department of Education;

(3) Clarifying that the vouchers are renewable for one additional year, provided that the applicant submits proof of continued employment as a full-time teacher; and

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

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. 12, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 12, S.D. 1.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair