STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2476

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3116

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3116 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish that the priority of selection for preschool open doors program participation shall be applicable through the priority application period that occurs prior to the start of each program year; provided that applications received after the start of the program year through January 31 shall be processed continuously through the program year on a first-come, first-served basis.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Executive Office on Early Learning, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!, and Hui for Excellence in Education.

Your Committee finds that currently, prioritizing applications for the preschool open doors program during each application period requires a start and end date for applications to be submitted, time to apply the priority selection criteria to the applicant pool, notifying of eligible families, and then initiating the process for approving and issuing child care payments, resulting in only a one to two month period after the application period ends and the next application period starts. Your Committee further finds that explicitly identifying that the priority criteria shall be applicable through the priority application period preserves the prioritization process while also expediting the review and approval of applications. This measure allows faster access to the preschool open doors program subsidies and increases participation in the school readiness program.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3116, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3116, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair