Hawaii-2022-HB2350-Introduced

PART I

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the importance of a quality education cannot be overstated. Significant research has shown that the experiences of children and the environments in which they develop have a lasting impact on their success later in life.

The legislature further finds that the State faces a critical shortage of workers in certain career fields. To prevent disruptions in key sectors of the State's economy and to ensure Hawaii's future prosperity, the State must implement programs to connect youth to these high-demand career fields.

A profession in which the State faces a serious shortage of qualified workers is teaching. The legislature finds that the ability of the State to address the existing teacher shortage is a matter of statewide concern.

Another industry that is realizing a rising need and will contribute significant economic growth is renewable energy and related industries that are synergistic in supporting the industry and having a symbiotic and interdependent relationship with it.

Noting these issues, the legislature recognizes that there is a demand for innovative programs that address the education needs of the State. One example of such a program is Waipahu high school's academy of professional and public services, a career academy that works to increase student achievement through authentic and rigorous experiences in a wide variety of fields, including finance, hospitality and tourism, business management, marketing, culinary arts, law and justice, and teacher education. The academy partners with working professionals to allow students to learn relevant, industry-standard skills. Another example of such a program is East Hawaii high schools' academy of professional and public services and career and technical education courses taught by Hawaii community college that works to increase student achievement and pathways to jobs in the renewable energy sector and a wide variety of related fields such as welding, farming, forestry and automotive technology. Coursework includes a high level of hands-on experiences to prepare students for employment by working with the industry though internships and mentoring to allow students to learn relevant, industry-standard skills. Students attend field trips and experience fieldwork for practical hands-on opportunities as experiential learning. The students earn dual-credit, applicable to high school and college, towards a career and technical education degree, and department of education teachers are also delivered competency-based college credit curriculum. The legislature finds that programs like Waipahu high school's academy of professional and public services and East Hawaii high schools' coursework delivered through the Hawaii community college should be supported and expanded.

Programs having an early college component also provide the State an opportunity to directly encourage youth to consider careers in high-demand fields such as teaching. For example, the State could expand accessibility to careers in these fields by providing grants for high school students to enroll in college courses that are directly applicable to degrees in high-demand fields.

The legislature further finds that the Hawaii educator loan program was established in 2001 to address the State's teacher shortage by providing loans to students participating in teacher education programs. Loan recipients who successfully complete their teaching education program and go on to teach in a position that meets the requirements of the program are eligible for forgiveness of the loan. The legislature finds that connecting graduates of Waipahu high school's academy of professional and public services or similar programs at other public schools with the Hawaii educator loan program could boost participation in the Hawaii educator loan program and ultimately help to ease the State's teacher shortage.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish career and technical education and other initiatives at the department of education and the University of Hawaii to expand opportunities for prospective future teachers as a model that could be replicated for other high-demand career fields in the future.

Specifically, this Act:

(1) Appropriates funds to the department of education to establish a pilot program that provides grants for high school students to enroll in college courses through the running start program or other similar programs that allow high school students to earn college credits during academic year 2022-2023; provided that:

(A) The student is currently enrolled in a career academy program and pursuing a career and technical education focused on career disciplines of high need in the State, including teacher education or a similar field; and

(B) The courses in which the student intends to enroll are applicable to the requirements for an associate degree in career disciplines of high need, including teaching;

(2) Expands the eligibility of the Hawaii educator loan program to include students who have completed a teaching program at a career academy; provided that the loan recipient agrees to teach for three years at a public school in the State;

(3) Appropriates funds into and out of the Hawaii educator loan program revolving fund; and

(4) Requires the department of education and university of Hawaii to evaluate the efficacy of this Act and provide the legislature with recommendations to:

(A) Expand collaborations between career academies and the community colleges that encourage students to consider, and facilitate the preparation of students for, careers in high-demand fields besides education; and

(B) Improve access to early college programs through distance learning.

PART II

SECTION 2. (a) As used in this Act:

"Career academy" means a program at a department of education high school that:

(1) Allows students studying in cohorts to follow a program of study in an academic or career and technical subject;

(2) Follows a college-preparation curriculum along a career theme;

(3) Includes the opportunity to enroll in early college courses;

(4) Forges partnerships with employers, higher education institutions, and the broader community; and

(5) Includes a sequenced, comprehensive work-based learning component that:

(A) Demonstrates to students the applications of academic and career and technical subjects to the career or college field toward which they are working; and

(B) Delivers work-based learning experiences, including but not limited to shadowing, community service, internships, mentoring, and apprenticeships.

"Career and technical education" means a program at a department of education high school that:

(1) Aligns with labor market needs to equip students with twenty-first century skills and prepare them for in-demand occupations in high-growth industry sectors;

(2) Collaborates among secondary and postsecondary institutions, employers, and industry partners; and

(3) Provides meaningful improvement to academic outcomes and building technical and employability skills in career and technical education programs.

PART III

SECTION 3. The department of education shall establish a pilot program that provides grants for high school students to enroll in college courses through the running start program or other similar programs that allow high school students to earn college credits during academic year 2022-2023. The grants shall cover the cost to enroll in the courses, including any fees, up to a maximum of credits each semester; provided that:

(1) The student is currently enrolled in a career academy program focused on career disciplines of high need in the State, including teacher education or a similar field;

(2) The courses in which the student intends to enroll are applicable to the requirements for an associate degree in career disciplines of high need, including teaching; and

(3) The student is currently enrolled in a career and technical education or career academy program focused on renewable energy and related industries.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for the department of education to establish the pilot program established pursuant to this part.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

PART IV

SECTION 5. Section 304A-701, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§304A-701 Hawaii educator loans; eligibility; amounts; educator loan forgiveness program; repayment; collection. (a) There is created the Hawaii educator loan program to be administered by the University of Hawaii, in partnership with a financial institution whose operations are principally conducted in Hawaii, to provide financial support to students and teachers who complete a state-approved teacher education program and who [~~agree~~] meet the eligibility criteria in subsection (b).

(b) A person is eligible for the Hawaii educator loan program if the person:

(1) Agrees to teach as a full-time teacher for a period of time to be determined by the university prior to the award of a loan, in:

[~~(1)~~] (A) The Hawaii public school system in a hard-to-fill position including special education, regular education shortage categories, or Title 1 schools, and in one of the following capacities:

[~~(A)~~] (i) As an elementary school teacher teaching in the field of elementary education who has met standards as set forth by the Hawaii teacher standards board; or

[~~(B)~~] (ii) As a secondary school teacher teaching in the subject area that is relevant to the loan recipient's academic major as certified by the department of education who has met standards as set forth by the Hawaii teacher standards board; or

[~~(2)~~] (B) At a school located in a rural area in the State, as determined by the superintendent of education[.]; or

(2) Has successfully completed a program in teacher education at a career academy and agrees to teach as a full-time teacher for a period of at least three years at a public school in the State after the student completes the state-approved teacher education program; provided that a preference shall be given to students who agree to teach in a hard-to-fill position including special education, regular education shortage categories, or Title I schools.

Eligibility shall be determined by the university on a competitive basis. The amount to be loaned to a student shall be determined by the board of regents based on need for financial aid and proof of acceptance into a state-approved teacher education program at the university. The maximum amount of loans that a student may receive under this program shall be an aggregate amount equivalent to tuition payments and costs of textbooks and other instructional materials necessary to complete a state-approved teacher education program.

[~~(b)~~] (c) All loans made under this subpart shall bear interest at five per cent simple interest. Repayment of principal and interest charges shall commence one year after graduation or three months after a loan recipient ceases to be enrolled in a state-approved teacher education program and shall be paid in periodic installments within a seven-year period. The university may charge late fees and all other reasonable costs for the collection of delinquent loans.

[~~(c)~~] (d) The university shall adopt rules to implement the educator loan program. The rules shall be adopted pursuant to chapter 91, but shall be exempt from the public notice and public hearing requirements.

[~~(d)~~] (e) Liability for repayment of a loan shall be canceled upon the death or permanent total disability of the borrower.

[~~(e)~~] (f) Upon a showing of proof that the loan recipient has completed a state-approved teacher education program and for each year that the loan award recipient teaches in the Hawaii public school system pursuant to subsection [~~(a)(1) or (2),~~] (b), loan forgiveness shall be provided to the recipient as follows:

(1) Ten per cent of the total amount of the loan award and interest shall be waived every year for the first five years of repayment; and

(2) Twenty-five per cent of the total amount of the loan award and interest shall be waived every year for the sixth and seventh years of repayment.

[~~(f)~~] (g) If a loan recipient who is a graduate of a state-approved teacher education program subject to this section and teaching pursuant to subsection [~~(a)~~] (b) fails to teach in the Hawaii public school system for the minimum number of years, as determined by subsection (b)(2) or by the university prior to the loan, from the recipient's original date of employment with the department of education, excluding temporary leaves of absence, then the recipient shall repay any remaining loan balance at the rate of ten per cent simple interest.

[~~(g)~~] (h) In accordance with chapter 103D, the university may enter into written contracts with collection agencies for the purpose of collecting delinquent loans. All payments collected, exclusive of a collection agency's commissions, shall revert, and be credited, to the Hawaii educator loan program revolving fund. A collection agency that enters into a written contract with the university for the collection of delinquent loans pursuant to this section may collect a commission from the debtor in accordance with the terms of, and up to the amounts authorized in, the written contract.

(i) As used in this section, "career academy" means a program at a department of education high school that:

(1) Allows students studying in cohorts to follow a program of study in an academic or career and technical subject;

(2) Follows a college-preparation curriculum along a career theme;

(3) Includes the opportunity to enroll in early college courses;

(4) Forges partnerships with employers, higher education institutions, and the broader community; and

(5) Includes a sequenced, comprehensive work-based learning component that:

(A) Demonstrates to students the applications of academic subjects to the career or college field toward which they are working; and

(B) Delivers work-based learning experiences, including but not limited to shadowing, community service, internships, mentoring, and apprenticeships."

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to be deposited into the Hawaii educator loan program revolving fund.

SECTION 7. There is appropriated out of the Hawaii educator loan program revolving fund the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to be used for the Hawaii educator loan program.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

PART V

SECTION 8. The department of education and the University of Hawaii shall each submit a report to the legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2023 and 2024, that includes:

(1) An accounting of the expenditure of funds appropriated by this Act, including the number of students who participated in the programs established or expanded by this Act;

(2) Findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation;

(3) A recommendation to continue, expand, or dissolve the pilot program established by section 3 of this Act;

(4) Recommendations to expand collaborations between career academies, career and technical education, and community colleges, including early college programs, that encourage students to consider, and facilitate the preparation of students for, careers in high-demand fields besides education; and

(5) Recommendations to improve access to the running start dual credit program established pursuant to section 304A-803, Hawaii Revised Statutes, or similar early college programs through distance learning.

SECTION 9. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022.

INTRODUCED BY:

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2350
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII