STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1142-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: S.B. No. 2262

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2262, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the powers and duties of the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board to authorize the issuance of certificates for teachers at private schools.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.

Your Committee finds that approximately thirty-eight thousand children attend one hundred sixty-seven private schools and are educated by nearly 3,000 private school teachers. Almost all of these educators hold at least a bachelor’s degree and, in many cases, an advanced degree. Many of these teachers have completed a standard licensure program as part of their undergraduate or graduate education. Most private schools, however, do not require that their faculty be "licensed" and instead require the completion of a degree in the field of study in which they plan to teach. This measure will provide certification by the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board for private school educators and affirm that these persons meet the basic qualifications to be an educator.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2051; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2262, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2262, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair