STAND. COM. REP. NO. 425-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1940

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1940 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish and appropriate funds for an Early Child Care Worker Subsidy Pilot Program; and

(2) Appropriate funds to the Hawaii Early Childhood Educator Special Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Rainbow Family 808, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Aloha United Way, and fourteen individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning and Early Learning Board. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that a strong early child care and education workforce is necessary to support Hawaii's children, working families, and communities. Your Committee further finds that the demand for quality early child care and education far exceeds what is currently available. This measure establishes the Early Child Care Worker Subsidy Pilot Program to increase the compensation for early child care workers and help boost recruitment for and retention of a qualified early learning workforce.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the minimum pay from $17.00 per hour to $18.00 that the Department of Human Services shall provide to all early childhood educators;

(2) Clarifying that funds shall be appropriated to the Early Learning Special Fund, rather than the Hawaii Early Childhood Educator Special Fund;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; and

(4) 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 Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1940, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1940, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair