STAND. COM. REP. NO. 197

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 800

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 Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 800 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a five-year child care center pilot program for state employees and their families, with one child care center in or around the state capitol building and one in Kapolei.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services; Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!; and United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii has some of the nation's highest child care costs and a lack of access to affordable child care contributes substantially to the State's high cost of living. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic exacerbated this problem, with more stringent safety guidelines contributing to further increased costs.

Your Committee further finds that there is a great unmet need for child care in the State. Providing child care to state employees and their families, and to other age-appropriate children on a space-available basis, can help to address this deficit.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Placing the five-year pilot program in the Session Laws of Hawaii rather than codifying it in the Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Changing the definition of "eligible children" to children who have a parent or legal guardian who is a state employee and are of newborn through kindergarten age;

(3) Requiring that the child care center be licensed;

(4) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(5) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(6) 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 $500,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 800, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 800, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Human Services.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Government Operations,

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair