STAND. COM. REP. NO.451

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 96

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 96 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish the Office of Early Childhood Education within the Department of Human Services (DHS) that shall be responsible for developing a plan to establish a system of universal access to early childhood education for three- and four-year-olds.

The Department of Education, Chaminade University, and an individual supported this bill. The Good Beginnings Alliance and an individual supported the intent of this bill. DHS opposed this bill.

Your Committees find that early childhood education is critical, and has been shown to have significant positive effects on the development of children. During these years, children are going through an amazing period of physical, mental, and emotional growth. It is absolutely essential that children's minds be nurtured throughout this time in their lives. It is in the State's interest to ensure that all children have access to early childhood education.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Deleting the provision for an Office of Early Childhood Education placed administratively within DHS;

(2) Placing the planning function for early childhood education within the office of the Lieutenant Governor;

(3) Requiring the Lieutenant Governor to develop a plan for universal access to early childhood education called PrePlus Hawaii;

(4) Allowing the Lieutenant Governor to contract with nonprofit agencies to achieve the purposes of this bill;

(5) Requiring the Lieutenant Governor to submit the plan for early childhood education to the Legislature prior to the 2002 Legislative Session;

(6) Appropriating $1 for the development of the strategic plan for PrePlus Hawaii to be expended by the Lieutenant Governor; and

(7) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style and clarity.

 

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 96, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 96, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Human Services and Housing,

 

____________________________

MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Chair

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair