STAND. COM. REP. NO. 55

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 826

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 826 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SCHOOL FACILITIES AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to transfer general funds previously appropriated to the School Facilities Authority of the Department of Education to the School Facilities Special Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, School Facilities Authority, Executive Office on Early Learning, University of Hawai‘i System, and Hui for Excellence in Education. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that funding early childhood education allows Hawaii's keiki to thrive and succeed in their future academic careers. However, the State is experiencing a chronic shortage of school facilities to meet the demand for pre-kindergarten programs for eligible children of the State. Therefore, your Committee further finds that, to ensure all eligible children in the State have the opportunity to attend pre-kindergarten programs, the School Facilities Authority should be adequately funded to provide more capacity in various early childhood education programs.

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 S.B. No. 826 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair