Bill Text: HI SB2545 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Education; Early Learning; Appropriation

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)

Status: (Passed) 2012-06-29 - (S) Act 178, 6/28/2012 (Gov. Msg. No. 1281). [SB2545 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-SB2545-Amended.html

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CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 173-12

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2012

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2545

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

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. 2545, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

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, among other things, to:

 

     (1)  Establish the Executive Office on Early Learning;

 

     (2)  Establish the Early Learning Advisory Board and repeal the Early Learning Council;

 

     (3)  Establish the Pre-Plus Program within the Executive Office on Early Learning;

 

     (4)  Require students to be at least five years old by July 31 of the school year, beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, in order to attend a public school kindergarten;

 

     (5)  Require the Executive Office on Early Learning to report to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2013 on the status of an implementation plan for the development of the Keiki First Steps program; and

 

     (6)  Appropriate an unspecified amount to establish the Executive Office on Early Learning.

 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that early experiences lay the groundwork for a child's lifelong learning and behavior.  Your Committee on Conference further finds that high quality early learning programs that are affordable and accessible for all children are critically important to ensure the success of Hawaii's children.  Establishing an Executive Office on Early Learning will help the State meet its goal of providing a viable early learning system for the keiki of Hawaii.  

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Temporarily placing the Executive Office on Early Learning within the Office of the Governor until June 30, 2015, after which the Executive Office on Early Learning shall be permanently established within the Department of Education;

 

     (2)  Removing the requirement that the Director of the Executive Office on Early Learning be subject to the advice and consent of the Senate;

 

     (3)  Removing the requirement that the staff of the Executive Office on Early Learning be hired pursuant to chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

 

     (4)  Inserting language from the S.D. 2 version of this measure to require that the members serving on the Early Learning Council on the effective date of this measure shall serve as the initial members of the Early Learning Advisory Board and shall continue to serve as members of the Early Learning Advisory Board until their terms expire;

 

     (5)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $300,000 to establish the Executive Office on Early Learning; and

 

     (6)  Making this measure effective on July 1, 2012.

 

     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. 2545, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2545, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Co-Chair		____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair
____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Co-Chair		____________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Co-Chair
____________________________ JO JORDAN, Co-Chair