STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2070

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2227

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2227 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for subsidies for the preschool open doors program.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning, Family Programs Hawaii, Family Support Hawaii, and Hawaii Children's Action Network.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that preschool open doors program subsidies enable children without adequate financial means to attend preschool.  For the 2015-2016 year, the preschool open doors program received 2,123 applications, and 1,158 children were enrolled at 256 preschools throughout the State.  Early childhood education is important because it has been shown to improve school performance, raise math and language abilities, sharpen thinking and attention skills, reduce special education placement, and lower school dropout rates.  Investing in children's futures is of the utmost importance.

 

     Your Committee supports the Governor's supplemental budget request of $6,000,000 for preschool open doors program child care subsidies and $198,773 for administrative costs that includes one full-time equivalent position and related costs in administering the program.

 

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $6,000,000 for subsidies for the preschool open doors program; and

 

     (2)  Inserting an additional appropriation of $198,773 to establish one new position in the Department of Human Services and for related costs in administering the preschool open doors program.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2227, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2227, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair