CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 86

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 503

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 503, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Board of Education to work with the Department of Education to conduct an analysis on the need, impact, and feasibility of making computer science a graduation requirement;

(2) Require the Board of Education to determine whether making computer science a graduation requirement would be in the best interests of public school students and the public and submit a report to the Legislature of its findings and recommendations; and

(3) Appropriate funds for teacher professional development in computer science.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Board of Education is required to work with the Department of Education to conduct an analysis on the necessary timeline and appropriate process for implementation of making computer science a graduation requirement by no later than the 2030-2031 school year;

(2) Requiring the Board of Education to make a determination on how students could be allowed to complete computer science courses as a substitute for core academic courses to satisfy graduation credit requirements, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year;

(3) Deleting language which would have appropriated funds for teacher professional development in computer science;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2023; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 503, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 503, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI Chair	____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON Co-Chair
____________________________ GLENN WAKAI Co-Chair	____________________________ AMY A. PERRUSO Co-Chair
	____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA Co-Chair