STAND. COM. REP. NO. 131

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 392

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 Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 392 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPECIAL EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Education to provide up to $1,690 to each special education classroom teacher for instructional materials and equipment.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that, based on statewide assessments, most special education students in the State's public school system are performing below their current grade levels in reading and math. Closing the achievement gap between special needs students and their general education peers requires investing in additional resources for special education teachers and classrooms. This measure assists special education classroom teachers in purchasing the supplies and instructional materials they need to adequately differentiate their instruction for their students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting a blank appropriation amount for the Department of Education to provide up to $1,690 to each special education classroom teacher for instructional materials and equipment.

Your Committee notes that although the appropriation is blank, the Department of Education's testimony requests an appropriation of $4,000,000 to provide adequate assistance to each special education classroom teacher for instructional materials and equipment.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 392, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 392, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair