Bill Text: HI HB961 | 2023 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Early Learning.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 22-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-07-03 - Act 171, 07/03/2023 (Gov. Msg. No. 1274). [HB961 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2023-HB961-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
961 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
S.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
PART I
SECTION 1. 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 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 to be deposited into the preschool open doors special fund.
SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the preschool open doors special fund the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the preschool grant program; the hiring of three temporary information technology positions without regard to chapter 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to support modifications to the preschool open doors program; and the data governance issues necessitated by Act 46, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, and Act 210, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021; provided that funds appropriated pursuant to this section may also be expended on additional permanent staff, benefit expenses related to the new staff, and costs associated with necessary modifications to the preschool open doors program; provided further that funds appropriated pursuant to this section may be expended without regard to chapters 103D and 103F, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this part.
PART II
SECTION 3. Section 346-184, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
"(b) Accreditation under this
section shall be obtained from one
or more of the following national early learning accrediting organizations:
(1) National Association for the Education of Young Children;
(2) National Early Childhood Program Accreditation;
(3) National
Association for Family Child Care; or
(4) An accrediting organization approved by
the director[; provided that the accrediting organization is comparable to
the organizations specified in paragraphs (1) through (3)]."
PART III
SECTION 4. Section 302L-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (b) and (c) to read as follows: "(b) The office shall implement an application process for schools that are interested in participating in the program. The criteria to prioritize applications shall include:
(1) Community need, including:
(A) The percentage of the population in the school or community that meets the definitions of at-risk and underserved children pursuant to section 302L-1; and
(B) The availability and capacity of existing early learning programs or services for three- and four-year-old children on the school campus and in the surrounding area;
(2) The availability of a classroom and outdoor play area that meet department of human services requirements for health and safety for three- and four-year-old children; and
(3) The commitment of the principal to implementing a high-quality prekindergarten program including through active participation in professional development sessions offered through the office, and to promoting continuity and alignment between and across other early learning programs in the community and other grade levels in the school to ensure the positive outcomes of children are sustained.
(c) The program shall serve [children in the
year prior to the year of kindergarten eligibility,] three- and four-year-old
children who are in the two years prior to kindergarten entry pursuant to
section 302A‑411, with priority extended to underserved or at-risk
children, as defined in section 302L-1, and follow the academic year schedule
of the department of education and be aligned with the full-day kindergarten
classroom schedule of each school.
Enrollment priority shall be given but is not limited to children who
attend prekindergarten at schools to which the children will be assigned upon
entering kindergarten under section 302A-1143."
SECTION 5. Section 346-181, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
"(b) Subject to the availability of funds, the
program shall serve three- and four-year-old children[,] who
are in the two years prior to kindergarten entry pursuant to section 302A‑411,
with priority extended in the following order to:
(1) Children who
are not eligible to attend public school kindergarten in the calendar year in
which they turn five years of age because their birth date occurs after the
kindergarten eligibility date pursuant to section 302A-411; [and]
(2) Underserved or
at-risk [children,] four-year-old children who were previously served
as a three-year-old child, as defined by rules adopted by the department[.];
(3) Four-year-old
children who were previously served as a three-year-old child;
(4) Four-year-old
children;
(5) Underserved or
at-risk three-year-old children, as defined by rules adopted by the department;
and
(6) Three-year-old children."
SECTION 6. Section 346-182, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(a)
There is established within the state treasury the preschool open doors
special fund, to be administered by the department's child care assistance
program, into which shall be deposited all moneys received by the department's
child care assistance program in the form of:
(1) Fees;
(2) Grants;
(3) Donations;
(4) Appropriations made by the legislature to the fund;
(5) Federal funds;
[(5)] (6) Revenues regardless of their source;
and
[(6)] (7)
Earnings on moneys in the fund.
Moneys in the fund shall be used for the procurement of health and human services under the preschool open doors program. Expenditures from the fund may be made by the department without allotment but shall not be made for capital improvement projects."
SECTION 7. Act 210, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, is amended by amending section 14 to read as follows:
"SECTION 14. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that:
(1) Section 5 shall be repealed on July 1, 2022,
and section [302L-7,] 302L-7(o) and (p), Hawaii Revised Statutes,
shall be reenacted in the form in which it read on the day prior to the
effective date of this Act;
[(2) Section 6 shall be repealed on July 1,
2024, and section 346‑181, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, shall be reenacted in the form in which it read on the day prior to
the effective date of this Act;] and
[(3)] (2)
Section 11 shall take effect on July 1, 2021."
SECTION 8. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.
Report Title:
Preschool Open Doors; Executive Office on Early Learning; Appropriation
Description:
Appropriates funds for the Preschool Open Doors Program and Executive Office on Early Learning to expand access to preschool and to implement program changes required by previous acts. Expands the types of entities from which a Preschool Open Doors service provider may obtain accreditation. Expands the Preschool Open Doors Program application process to eligible three-year-old children. Authorizes the Preschool Open Doors Special Fund to accept federal funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
