Senate Standing Committee on Education

Good afternoon, and welcome to the Joint Committee on Education and Labor and Technology. Today is Wednesday, February 5th. It's 3:00pm. We are in Room 229, and we are here today to hear Senate Bill 420, relating to education. This bill allows newly graduated high school students to be eligible for workers compensation coverage during the summer following their high school graduation while participating in Department of Education sponsored work based learning programs. Senate Bill 420. To start off, we have our Department of Education Superintendent.

Good afternoon, Chair and Vice Chair. I'm Tammi Chun, Deputy Superintendent for Keith Hayashi. We're standing in support of our written... Standing in support of the bill and and referring to our written testimony on this matter.

Thank you. Senator, would you like to start with questions? I have no questions. Okay. Superintendent or Tammi, how many students and new graduates, university graduates, would this bill impact?

We have not been able to, we have not brought on new graduates as interns under these conditions before. So we don't have track record on this, but we would imagine somewhere in the ballpark of maybe 50 in the first to 100 in the first year.

Thank you. So how or will this positively impact these students? Your work based programs.

Oh, absolutely. This is really an important experience for students and an important transition for students who are have graduated and moving on to the workforce. It'll give them experience to be able to pursue addition and to build skills to be more ready to apply for employment post high school.

Can you describe various partnerships with employers, community partners, military, or higher education institutions?

Sure. So we have different partnerships that offer students work based learning experiences. The ones that are currently state funded through the DLIR Hele Imua program, we are currently only offering to students who are doing DOE work sites, internships at DOE work sites. There's a separate bill that would allow our students to do those internships at private sector organizations.

But in terms of partnerships, some of the partnerships for work based learning, for example, include the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association. With their own funding in prior year, they were able to offer students internships, paid internships at hotels.

So I have not seen that separate bill. Has it been sent over?

Let me just double check on the bill number. We'll look it up.

Okay, thank you. Members, questions? Any questions? Any questions?

So right now these students aren't eligible? If this question was asked and answered.

For workers compensation if they're participating in internships. Correct.

But if it's a regular summer job?

If they're employed as employees, then they would be eligible as employees for workers comp.

So as an Internship, do they receive, do they receive compensation?

Interns may or may not receive compensation.

Okay, so if they don't receive compensation, where does the money come from to pay them the workers comp? Doesn't the employer normally have to put into the workers comp?

So under the current statute, the Attorney General's interpretation is that if students are in, if students are still enrolled, not graduated yet, that DOE workers compensation would cover them while they're participating in DOE sponsored internships. So this is to extend the period of coverage for until July 31st after high school graduation for students who are participating in the same internship type programs.

And the DOE is in supportive of this? Okay, thank you.

Further questions, Members? So do we have a, you don't have a number yet as to how many students are in this category?

We would newly be able to offer this, so I would estimate perhaps 50 to 100 in the first year.

That's for all DOE schools.

Correct.

And can you describe the types of partnerships with employers or community partners, military, and higher education institutions that we currently have?

Sure. So we have opportunities for our students to participate in, for example, pre-apprenticeship programs with the Carpenters Union apprenticeship, the carpenter's training and apprenticeship program. So that's a short term opportunity for students to learn some skills and also to have some experiences to decide if they want to pursue the full apprenticeship program.

Thank you. Other questions, Members? Sure, go ahead.

So do you have experience in terms of like numbers? I mean they're not in very dangerous kinds of work that they do when they're interning, but do you have any idea of what kind of accident?

Yeah, it's... I have that information. We have, we have not had... My recollection is that we have not had any incidents with students in terms of workers compensation. And from a cost point of view, DOE's, what DOE is requested in terms of overall workers compensation would cover the cost. So there'd be no additional cost for this bill.

And as for Senator Kidani's prior question, some more examples here. Just as an example of the kind of funding, we have had students participate in, design and technology lab to be able to learn how to learn, use different kinds of media equipment. So but the primary place that students have been, a lot of the internships have so far been through the state funded program has been on campus or at DOE facilities doing a variety of different kinds of occupations at the DOE.

So currently this workers compensation coverage ends at the time of graduation.

Correct.

So if they work through the summer, they're not covered currently. This bill would allow them to be covered?

Correct.

And that would extend through the summer?

Through July 31st.

Through July 31st only.

So it'd be maybe two months after graduation.

And this is for high school seniors who have graduated?

Correct.

Members, further questions?

So it's covered, you say your coverage for them during the school year will just continue on if this passes?

The bill would extend it. The current coverage is while they're students. Once they graduate, they would no longer be considered a student. So this would just extend the coverage for up to two more months.

Without additional cost?

Correct.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. Members, further questions? If not, recess.

Thank you. Reconvening the Joint Committee hearing of Education and Committee of Labor and Technology. For Senate Bill 420, relating to education. This allows new grad, newly graduated high school students to be eligible for workers compensation coverage during the summer following their high school graduation while participating in Department of Education sponsored work based learning programs. The Committee on Education is ready to vote.

So recommendation for both committees is to support this bill. Amended. Oh yeah, I'm sorry we have to defect the date to July 1, 2050, and this will be changed when, hopefully, when it gets to Ways and Means. Thank you. Ready for the votes.

Okay. So for Senate Bill 420, the recommendation is to pass with amendments. [Roll Call] Recommendation is adopted, Madam Chair.

Okay, thank you very much. Labor and Technology, same recommendations. Defecting the effective date to July 1st, 2050. Questions or concerns, Members? Seeing none. Vice vote. Senator Moriwaki for the vote.

Okay. For Labor Committee, those voting aye. [Roll Call] Bill adopted.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. So the Committees on Education and Labor and Technology have passed out Senate Bill 420 with amendments. Hearing is adjourned.

Welcome back to the Committee on Education. We are now reconvening this meeting to this is Wednesday February 5th, 2025. It's 3:02pm agenda and we are in hearing Room 229. This meeting, including the audio and video of remote participants is being streamed live on YouTube.

You will find links to viewing options for all Senate meetings on the live and on demand video page of the Legislature's website. In the unlikely event that we must abruptly end this hearing due to major technical difficulties, the Committee will reconvene to discuss any outstanding business on Friday, February 7th, 2025 at 3:00pm in Room 229.

And a public Notice will be posted on the Legislature's website. Members, we are here to Discuss Senate Bill 844 proposed SD1 relating to education. This Bill appropriates funds to the Department of Education to fulfill the local farm to school meal goal requiring 30% of the food served in public schools to consist of locally sourced products, sorry.

Oops. Mistake, sorry. The purpose of this decision making meeting is to insert substantive provisions into the following short form Bill. A public hearing will be scheduled at a later date at which testimony will be accepted. This is for Senate Bill 894 relating to education. Proposed SD1. Did I shake up the Department of Education.

Just checking. So Senate Bill 894 appropriates funds to the Department of Education to fulfill the local farm to school meal goal requiring 30% of the food served in public schools to consist of locally sourced products. And recommendation is to adopt this proposed SD1. Members questions.

I didn't have it on my agenda. I don't know what happened to my agenda.

This is Decision making only.

Okay, so the recommendation is to amend Senate Bill 894 to include the amendments that was read to by the Chair. And so, any discussion, hearing none. The chair, I. Vice Chair, I. Senator Hashimoto, I. Senator Kanuha, I. Senator DeCoite is excused. For in support and voting I, your recommendations adopted.

Thank you. And that concludes our decision making, we have another agenda.

Reconvening the Committee on Education for our next agenda. First one on the agenda, Senate Bill 789 relating to school cafeteria meal costs.

This Bill repeals the requirement that the Department of Education set school cafeteria meal prices at no less than half the cost of meal preparation. To testify, Superintendent, please.

Aloha. Chair Kidani, Vice Chair Kim and Members of the Committee. Dino Chida, Deputy Superintendent, testifying on behalf of Department of Education. The Department stands in its written testimony which provides comments on this measure.

The Department is requesting that rather than repeal the existing requirement that the threshold instead be lowered to one fourth of the cost of preparing the meal. This will align it with the language in our administrative Bill package which is Senate Bill 1394. Thank you.

Okay, members questions?

Yes. So what prompts this measure? What do we need?

The repealing of the 50%?

Or whatever you're asking for?

Yeah, it was. We tried to go to the Board of Education to increase it because right now we're charging like 275, but it cost us about $9 per meal. So we weren't in compliance with the statute. We Went to the board, they didn't want to increase the rates.

They just wanted to increase it for adults and for the second meal. And they wanted to keep everything the same because of you know everybody's having a hard time with the economy the way it is. So, you know we need to address the statutory requirement at the 50%, so that's why the Bill came in.

They wanted to lower it. We're kind of at the 1/4 right now at 275 at $9.

you're at what cost right now?

$9 per plate, and we're charging 275.

And this Bill would raise it to what?

Would be like 25%, so 450 to 225.

This Bill would be half the cost. It would be 450.

Yeah. We go 1/4 gonna be.

But you're at 275. Yeah. So 1/4, it's lower than the 275.

Yeah, we're gonna be above the 225. The 225 is 1/4 of our cost. We're charging 275.

You want to be in compliance, basically you want to be in compliance with the statute.

Right correct.

Question. So this Bill, I would think this is a better Bill because it has no requirement, right?

Yeah.

I think you're deleting everything, you're deleting the 50% requirement, right?

Yeah, we're asking for the 25%.

But that's in your Bill package. This one I'm looking at, it just deletes, so this one has nothing.

Right.

But you guys want something in the Statute.

I guess, to be consistent with the packaging was submitted.

So why was the DOE not following the statute?

We hadn't done an increase since 2015, and then Covid hit and so everything got pushed back.

So nobody was worried that they were not in compliance with the statute?

I think it came to our attention, I guess towards the end of last year. That's where we started.

So nobody figured it out until last year?

I guess so.

Interesting. Well you know, because I think obviously just based on what happened in the news and the outcry, it's a very touchy subject. And so you probably have to have a long term plan. Like you have to tell them okay, within the next eight years, this is what the increase is.

But we haven't touched it since 2015 and then have no plan.

We tried to increase it, getting it closer to 50%, but staging it over a four year period. So gradually stepping up.

Yeah, but when I was a kid, you say quarter, quarter increases, right. And you're using a couple dollars, that's like of course people are going to flip out. Yeah.

And then, you know the cost of. The cost of the food is going to go up too, right. So we got to try and figure out how you can pace it with the cost of the rising cost of the food going up. That's not addressed anywhere, just this is 50% of the cost of the meal, right.

Okay, so the department's intention, though is whatever we put in the statute, you guys are going to comply.

That's correct. Okay.

Okay. Thank you, Chair.

Senator Kim. So with all the bills going on about free lunch for everybody, this Bill becomes moved, right? At some point.

Yeah, if that passes. Yeah, it'll be moved.

And, and so when you're, when these bills are coming up and what the cost might be, you're using the current cost of preparation per meal as to look at what the cost might be.

To the state. Right.

Thank you. Further questions, Members. Thank you. Is there anyone else here wishing to testify on this measure? Okay, anything on, please come forward.

Chair, Vice Chair. Nate Hicks with Hawaii Public Health Institute. We really appreciate you folks hearing this Bill and introducing it. You know, point's pretty clear. School meal prices are, you know, shouldn't be doubled, as we've seen in the news recently. And removing this would be a great step.

So we're definitely in support of this and we think, yeah, not instituting the quarter would be the better move. We don't want to tie the department's hands and making sure that they follow, right. If costs go up all of a sudden, we don't want a big jump. So removing it entirely would be a great step. Thank you.

Thank you. Daniela.

Good afternoon. Chair Kim. Vice Chair or Chair Kadani, Vice Chair Kim. My name is Daniela Spoto. I am with Hawaii Appleseed. We are in support of this measure. And I also just wanted to acknowledge Senator Hashimoto's remarks. I do think this is the better Bill.

The Bill that Deputy Uchido is referencing, it's if the goal is eventually to have free school meals for children, which we hope that it is. This would just eliminate one more barrier towards that.

Whereas the governor's package Bill would still have this additional statute in there, this barrier and statute that 25% of the costs need to come from parents. So it doesn't necessarily require that they make the meals free. But we do think that this just sort of makes it simpler if that is the eventual goal.

So thank you so much for hearing my testimony.

Thank you. Anyone else here wishing to testify on this measure?

Can I ask one more question of Dino. So this will cover not just student meals, but adult meals as well!

I think the board wants the adult meals closer to what we're paying.

I see. Yeah, That's what they didn't cover it in this language.

Thank you, Members. No further testifiers. And we will move on to Senate Bill 449, relating to capital improvement. Establishes a school capital improvement project modernization initiative in the School Facilities Authority to create a planning database for school facilities and appropriates funds. To testify, Superintendent.

Thank you, Chair Kidani, Vice Chair Kim, and Members of the Committee. Dean Uchida, Deputy Superintendent testifying on behalf of Department of Education. The Department stands on its written testimony, which provides comments on this measure. While our Department appreciates the role of the School Facilities Authority, we continue to serve as the overall lead for CIP and deferred maintenance projects.

We believe the Department is best suited to oversee the overall planning, development, and constructions of construction of its facilities and believe that a planning database would be better suited within our Department rather than duplicated under the SFA. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you. Further testimony.

Good afternoon, Senate Committee on Education. Riki Fujitani with the School Facilities Authority. We support this bill. We feel that Hawaii needs to develop a plan for the tectonic changes coming about as the federal programs and funding for education will dramatically change. In the 14th edition for Mandate for Leadership, also known as Project 2025, the common theme is student choice. And that will have amazing impact on the way schools in Hawaii are run and funded.

Especially with in our case, 20% of the kids are in private schools, 7.9 are in charters and home schools. So the impact is great. What this bill does is create a proactive decision making tool for legislators where the data schema will be by legislative districts. So key questions for the legislators who deal with funding, budget, and spending will be answered ahead of time. Questions like why should we build, what should we build, and where we should repurpose. So we are very much in support of this bill. Thank you

Members, questions? Thank you.

Good afternoon, Chair Kidani, Vice Chair Kim, Senator Hashimoto. Anne Horiuchi from the Department of the Attorney General. In our testimony, what we noted is that the bill places this new section in the subpart C of part 6, Chapter 302. That's the subpart that relates to the School Facilities Authority to make it clear that references to the Board in this new section relate to the Board of Education rather than the School Facilities Authority Board. We've suggested amendments in our testimony to insert the words of education in the new or in the statute so that it's clear that the references to the Board are to the BOE and not the SFA Board. I'll be available for questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Members, questions? Thank you. Is there anyone else here to testify on this measure? Not.

So. I'm hearing DOE and then I guess Riki. So DOE is saying that they're best suited to oversee the overall plan. And therefore, you're saying that this funding and I guess the database should be in the Department and not duplicated under SFA's. So is this duplicating or what's happening?

Well, it doesn't exist now. So the key is to build it as quickly as we can. We feel...

We're not... Right now, there's no duplication because we don't have it. So is that your understanding? Okay, so you're saying it shouldn't be an FSA. You should only be in DOE.

Correct.

Okay. And you're saying that you guys are the ones responsible for the planning?

No, no, we're saying this thing has to be done. Give it to us or give it to them, but we got to build this.

Right, but who is the more. Who... Or should it be both places or who is the one that is supposed to be overseeing this?

Definitely, we have to work. We have to work with each other. But who can move fastest to get this thing up and running as quickly as we can?

Well, who can?

SFA can.

You saying you guys can?

No. Give us the money and we'll do it.

No, but that's what you guys say. And then you guys... I mean, the reason...

No matter who does it, somebody needs to get the money. So if you're not going to ask, you're not going to get.

But the thing is, you guys have a history of, that's why FSA, we created this. We created all this stuff you have a backlog of... So when you're saying give it to you guys, that you guys are going to do it, I don't necessarily have faith that it's going to happen. It's going to happen in a timely manner. I'm sorry.

I know. Yeah. Our history is not so good. We try to make some changes within the organization that can be better responsive, getting better people in place.

We already have this huge bureaucracy that. So if you folks get it, then you folks will work with?

Oh, absolutely. We have to. Because all it is is provides information to make better decisions. Right. Ultimately, the decisions have to be made by the Legislature who decides funding or the DOE who decides repurposing and reusing. But right now...

So we could put some language in the bill or in the Committee report to assure that happens.

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

So let me ask this. So currently, does the DOE work with SFA at all or does SFA work with the DOE at all? Or how are you doing projects?

Right now, there's four standing committee meetings where we regularly meet with the DOE for each of the programs that we run. First, there's an overall one where we meet monthly and that involves operations, Dean, Audrey Hidano, and Chief of Staff. Yeah, it's the same.

But who's the lead?

Myself. And in the case of the overall Chief of Staff, which is Camille, then in the Central Maui Schools, the lead is Jadine Urasaki and Brenda Lowrey, who are in charge of new schools. In the case of workforce housing, we hope to work with the Land Department at the DOE and then the third one, in terms of middle learning housing, our lead right now is Fred Murphy, but we want better oversight with either. The best person would be Audrey Hidano, and she's in charge of scheduling that regular meeting now.

And Audrey is with DOE. Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Senate Bill 423, relating to the Early Learning Board. Adds the Director of the Hawaii Head Start State Collaboration Office or their designee as an ex officio non-voting member to the Early Learning Board, requires the Early Learning Board to invite the President of the Head Start Association of Hawaii or their designee to serve as an ex officio non-voting member of the Board. Is Yuuko Arikawa-Cross here?

Hi, Chair Kidani, Vice Chair Kim, and Senator Hashimoto. I'm Yuuko Arikawa-Cross, Director of the Executive Office on Early Learning. We stand in strong support of SB 423, and we thank the Committee for hearing this bill. Back in 2011, then Governor Neil Abercrombie declared the Early Learning Council by way of executive order as the state's advisory council.

Over the years, it was replaced by the Early Learning Advisory Board, and now it's currently the Early Learning Board. And so as a result, the Early Learning Board needs to comply with certain requirements of the federal Head Start Act. So in 2023, Act 170 restructured the composition of the Early Learning Board.

And this bill just makes the change that's needed to realign the new composition with the Head Start Act. So adding the State Director of Head Start Collaboration, as you mentioned, and also inviting the President of the Head Start Association or the President's designee.

The Head Start Act also requires that the Board include a representative of local providers of early childhood education and development services. So the membership of our current board does already include an individual who satisfies that requirement. However, EOEL recommends that the bill be amended to ensure that this requirement is not accidentally overlooked in future years and has suggested language for your consideration. Thank you.

Thank you. Members, questions? Thank you. Anyone else here wishing to testify on this measure? Elaine Yamashita, who's Chair of Early Learning Board, is that you on Zoom?

Yes.

Thank you. Go ahead.

Aloha, Chair. Aloha, Vice Chair. Mahalo for the opportunity to testify on this, and we stand on the testimony of Executive Office. And I submitted my testimony a little early so the language I will that we are suggesting, I'm going to defer to the EOEL version. We discussed it yesterday, and the EOEL version of the language we're suggesting is more appropriate. So thank you for consideration, and thank you for your support.

Thank you, Elaine. Members questions? Thank you very much. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on this measure? Seeing none moving on. Senate Bill 1384 relating to the Early Childhood Education Special Fund.

This Bill amends section 302L9E HRS to require stipend funds repaid by a stipend recipient pursuant to section 302L HRS to be deposited into the Early Learning Special Fund established pursuant to section 302L5 HRS to testify.

Chair Kidani, Vice Chair Kim and Senator Hashimoto. Yuuko Arikawa-Cross, Director of the Executive Office on Early Learning. We are in strong support of SB 1384 and we thank the Committee for hearing this Bill. Act 210 SLH 2021, established the Hawaii Early Childhood Educator Stipend Program to address the shortage of qualified early childhood educators in Hawaii.

The act specified that recipients of the stipends who do not satisfy the requirements of the program must repay the stipend funds and added a new section to HRS establishing the Hawaii Early Childhood Educator Special Fund into which any repaid stipend funds were to be deposited.

However, Act 210 also specified that the Special Fund shall be abolished and repealed on June 30, 2023. As a result, the fund was abolished in 2023 and is no longer in use.

This Bill is a housekeeping measure that deletes section 302L10 HRS, which established the Early Childhood Educators Special Fund and redirects any stipend funds repaid by a stipend recipient to the Early Learning Special Fund instead. Thank you.

Thank you. Members, questions. How much is in the Early Learning stipend Fund? Early Learning Special Fund.

So we have the only amount that we've ever deposited into the Early Learning Special Fund is maybe like about 2,500 that we received from a Hawaii Dental Service grant.

And what kind of stipends normally would get put into when it was under Early Childhood Educator?

So the Early Childhood Educator Special Fund. So we do have a Early Learning stipend program. And so it's, if anybody should default on it, then the money should go into the special Fund. So, for example, if somebody withdraws from the program or if they're terminated over.

The year, how much was that? Was that a lot of money?

Okay. So as of summer of 2024, there were only nine recipients and the total is 31,864 that we are in the process of recouping from these individuals. Well, they've. We're giving them notice and then at the same time, we're trying to look into contracting for a collections piece because this is something new for our office.

That's such a small amount to go to a contractor, right?

Yes. So that's why we're trying to recoup it from them directly.

Okay. Thank you. Any questions, members. Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there someone else on Zoom wishing to testify. Elaine Yamashita.

Yes. Mahalo here I am again, Chair of the Early Learning Board, and we stand on our testimony, Mahalo.

In support. Thank you, Elaine.

In support, yes.

Members, questions? Thank you. If not, moving on to our final agenda item, Senate Bill... I'm sorry. Yeah, it is our final. Senate Bill 684, relating to the Board of Education. Requires the Board of Education to adopt administrative rules to ban the usage of cell phones at Department of Education schools. Does DOE have testimony on this? No. To testify, Andrew Crossland. Not here. Renee Dieperink in support. Alice Abellanida also in support. Any additional testifiers present or on Zoom wishing to testify? If not, Members, questions?

I introduced a similar bill. So is there a problem? Does the DOE see any problem with the cell phone situation with students during classroom time?

So every school currently sets their own policy regarding the use of cell phones. There's a variety of different ways schools, schools deal with that.

Do you think there should be a more consistent model?

There could be a more consistent model. I do think that we have not heard schools ask us to provide more consistency. Different school. Some schools say no cell phones at all. Some say none during instructional hours, not during class, unless the teacher asks you to bring it out. Some say they can't be brought out at all. So I think we could have more consistency.

You have that ability without measure. Right? Without a bill.

Correct.

So why don't you... I mean, there's a number of bills have been introduced in the House side and on our side. And I know parents have talked to me, and they applaud having a measure like this. So I think the fact that... And the schools, kids move from school to school, different policies that would behoove us, DOE not to have a more consistent policies throughout the schools. I may not be so restrictive. That's why we're leaving the details and the policy to DOE. But we want you guys to come up with something.

So we're working with the Board of Education, and the board has an intention to set a board policy regarding cell phone use in schools.

Okay. Are you folks aware of the different types of items out on the market, which, like, they have these little pockets that kids can put their cell phones into that locks and then open after they're allowed to or other measures? I've been to conferences, and there's all of these different ways in which the schools can achieve that purpose. Are you folks aware of all of those?

Yes, Senator. Some schools use the pouches currently.

Okay. Well, again, even more so if some schools use it, others don't. I mean, it would be helpful for parents out there to understand what the policies are because they have kids in different schools and have different policies.

The expectation is that the board will set a policy this year in collaboration with the Department.

Okay, thank you. Thank you, Members.

Oh, I should just correct. The board is going to work on the policy. I'm not sure it'll be this school year, but I would expect it would be in place before next legislative session. That was requested in the board's testimony or resolution.

Thank you. Okay, no one else here to testify on this measure. Okay, we're going to recess.

Thank you.

Members, the Committee is reconvening. Committee on Education. And with regard to Senate Bill 789, we are going to, this is relating to the school cafeteria meal costs. Recommendation is to pass with amendments changing the requirement of the threshold to 1/4 of the cost of preparing meals and also defecting the date to July 1, 2050. Questions, Members?

Okay, no questions. A recommendation is to pass with amendments. Senate Bill 789. [Roll Call] Five ayes. Recommendation's adopted.

Thank you. Members, on Senate Bill 449, relating to capital improvement, recommendation of the Chair is to defer to this measure. Senate Bill 423, relating to the Early Learning Board. My recommendation is to pass with amendments and to include the testimony of the Executive Office of Early Learning and defect the date to July 1, 2050. Members, questions? If not, Chair votes aye.

If not, recommendation is Senate Bill 423 passed with amendments. Any Member voting no? Any Member voting with reservations? Hearing none. All five Members in the affirmative. Recommendation's adopted.

Thank you. For Senate Bill 1384, relating to early Childhood Educator Special Fund. Recommendation of the Chair is to pass with amendments, and we will defect the date to July 1, 2050. Chair votes aye.

Any Member voting no? Any Member voting reservations? Hearing none. All five Members present voting in the affirmative. Recommendation's adopted.

Thank you. For Senate Bill 684, relating to the Board of Education and the usage of cell phones at DOE schools. The Chair would like to defer this matter and would like the Board of Education to take of this matter rather than this Committee. Thank you. Any questions? Meeting's adjourned.