STAND. COM. REP. NO.  842

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1349

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1349, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER TENURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to align the probationary period for licensed charter school teachers, who are not yet tenured in the Department of Education, with the probationary period of all other licensed, but not yet tenured, teachers in the Department of Education.  Specifically, this measure specifies that probationary periods will be determined pursuant to policies and practices established by the Department of Education, the Board of Education, and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

The Department of Education, Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network, and a concerned individual provided testimony in support of this measure.  The State Public Charter School Commission provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1349, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1349, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair