STAND. COM. REP. NO. 209-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2074

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2074 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the establishment of three full-time equivalent Kaiapuni education curriculum specialist II positions and ten full-time equivalent Kaiapuni classroom teacher positions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Hui Mākua o Kapolei; Ka Laʻi a ʻEhu; Aha Kauleo; Ke Kula Kaiapuni O Pūʻōhala; Hui Makua O Pūʻōhala; Nā Leo Kākoʻo o O'ahu; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Education has experienced significant growth in the demand for Hawaiian language immersion education to be provided in Hawaii's Kaiapuni schools. In the past decade, the Department's Kaiapuni program enrollment has grown by almost one thousand students, with 2,374 students now being educated in the medium of the Hawaiian language. In addition, there are eight new schools in the Department, bringing the total number of Kaiapuni schools to twenty-two.

Your Committee further finds that federal pandemic education funding and other state funds provided critical support for Kaiapuni program development. These funds conclude at the end of this fiscal year. Your Committee believes that additional funding is necessary to sustain existing Kaiapuni programs and help expand programs in the future.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $1,444,683.

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. 2074, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2074, 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