CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 145-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 3116

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 3116, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PRESCHOOL OPEN DOORS PROGRAM,"

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) Specify that the priority of selection for Preschool Open Doors Program participation applies only during the priority application period between February 1 and the start of each program year; and

(2) Specify that applications received after the priority application period shall be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Your Committee on Conference finds that the Preschool Open Doors Program provides key financial assistance to enable children to attend preschool and serves certain three- and four-year old children with priority extended to certain categories of children. However, existing law does not specify whether the priority of selection to participate in the Preschool Open Doors Program applies year-around or during a limited period of time. Your Committee on Conference further finds that establishment of a priority application period would ensure that the Preschool Open Doors Program maximizes the funding appropriated to the Program to serve the greatest number of three- and four-year-old children in a timely fashion. This measure preserves the prioritization process while also expediting the review and approval of applications to allow faster access to Preschool Open Doors Program subsidies and increase participation in this school readiness program.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language to require the Department of Human Services to adopt rules, pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to determine a child's underserved or at risk status, if not duplicative of the rules already adopted under chapter 17-799, Hawaii Administrative Rules;

(2) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

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

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 S.B. No. 3116, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3116, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ LISA MARTEN Co-Chair	____________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA Chair
____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA Co-Chair	____________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI Co-Chair