STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1369-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2701

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2701, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish and appropriate funds for a one-year Child Care Worker Subsidy Pilot Program to retain existing child care workers; and

(2) Appropriate funds to be deposited in the Early Learning Special Fund for the Hawaii Early Childhood Educator Stipend Program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning, Early Learning Board, Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women, Rainbow Family 808, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawai‘i Association of School Psychologists, Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!, and numerous individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Department of Human Services.

Your Committees find that the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has disrupted the State's child care and early education system, creating additional challenges to expanding access to quality, affordable child care and early education. Your Committees further find that demand for quality child care and early education far exceeds the number of qualified child care and early education professionals currently available in the State. This measure supports Hawaii's children, working families, and communities by helping improve the recruitment and retention of child care workers and early childhood educators in the State.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Limiting participation in the Child Care Worker Subsidy Pilot Program to child care workers working in licensed child care centers, licensed infant and toddler centers, registered family child care homes, and licensed group child care centers;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2701, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2701, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness and Education,

____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair