STAND. COM. REP. NO. 305

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1331

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1331 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to extend the school supply subsidy pilot program established pursuant to Act 142, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, for an additional two years.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that Title I, Part A, of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (Title I), provides federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure educational success. Your Committee further finds that to assist in identifying methods of relieving the financial burden of education on low-income families, Act 142, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, was enacted to establish a one-year school supply subsidy pilot program within the Department of Education to subsidize school supplies at schools composed entirely of students eligible for participation in Title I.

Your Committee notes that the school supply subsidy pilot program for school year 2022-2023 was quickly implemented and provided $806,800 for twenty public and charter schools, serving seventeen elementary schools, one intermediate and high school combination, and two K-12 schools. Based on surveys administered to the participating school staff members, students, and families, ninety-five percent of the respondents felt that the subsidy relieved the financial burden of purchasing school supplies, and ninety-eight percent would like to see the funding continued. Your Committee believes the value in the pilot program necessitates the extension of the pilot program for an additional two years.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to June 30, 3000; and

(2) 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. 1331, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1331, 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