STAND. COM. REP. NO. 881

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1223

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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1223, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER LOANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Teacher Loan Program to encourage individuals to become teachers in hard-to-fill positions at Department of Education schools and public charter schools;

(2) Allow the loan to be forgiven after five years of teaching in a hard-to-fill position;

(3) Establish a Department of Education Teacher Loan Program Revolving Fund and a Public Charter School Teacher Loan Program Revolving Fund to provide loans for each program; and

(4) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Education, and Department of Budget and Finance.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1223, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair