STAND. COM. REP. NO. 567

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 1220

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1220, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require members of the Charter School Commission to collectively possess strong experience and expertise in various fields;

(2) Allow staff of a charter school authorizer to assist in the application and review process and completion of an incomplete charter application;

(3) Authorize a nonprofit organization to establish an applicant governing board that operates separately from, but may have similar members with, its nonprofit organization;

(4) Clarify charter application notice requirements; and

(5) Clarify authorizer compliance requirements in cases of an appeal.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science Public Charter School, Maui Hui Malama, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii State Ethics Commission, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that this measure will improve and streamline the process for the authorization of public charter schools and enable charter school applicants to more easily correct any application errors by allowing authorizer staff to provide prospective charter applicants with technical assistance, clarifying the charter application notice requirements, and clarifying the authorizer compliance requirements in cases of an appeal.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Allowing the authorizer's staff to provide technical support to a prospective charter school applicant or an applicant governing board up until the completed charter application is submitted to the authorizer;

(2) Retaining language that requires an applicant governing board to be separate from the nonprofit organization; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1220, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1220, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair