Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Environment

Call the committee, this joint committee on Education and the committee on Government Operations to order. Welcome our chair of GOV and members. Welcome. So today is Wednesday, April 8, and we're in Conference Room 229, and this hearing is being streamed live on YouTube. And if we must end this hearing due to technical issues, the committee will not reconvene.

No. I'm sorry. The committee will reconvene on what is today? Wednesday. On Friday, although the deadline would be in in effect, in Conference Room 229, and a public notice will be posted on Hawaii state legislature website, and that's at 1PM.

And due to the number of measures, we do have a lot of measures today. Everybody wants their resolutions heard, trying to accommodate everybody. Each one of the testifiers will have one minute, will be limited to one minute in testifying. And if any technical issues arise during the Zoom testimony, the committee may need to proceed to the next testifier, and we do have your written testimony on file.

So here we are starting out with the first joint item, which is Senate Concurrent Resolution 201, Senate resolution 189, requesting the Department of Education to reissue requests for proposals for the job order contracting program, contractors and prequalified small contractors to ensure the continuity of future school now program.

And with that, we have DOE.

Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chairs, Member of the committees. Jesse Suki, Deputy Superintendent of Operations for the Department of Education. We are standing on our testimony and support. We support the JOC or Job Order Contract Program, and we are actually in the process of issuing, new RFPs for these. Thank you.

Okay.

Why don't you just sit there? Johnny May Perry, individual in support. Not here. Anyone else wishing to testify on this measure? Hearing none, members, any questions?

Chair, question? No. Okay. I do. I have a number of questions.

Surprise, surprise. Okay. So so this program has been in effect. Correct? Yes.

Okay. How long has it been in effect?

We have data going back to 2019.

Okay. And when did the contract expire?

Contracts. They're in different stages of expiration, but we've continued them until we can get the new RFPs out.

Why is that? Why is it taking you so long? My understanding is an RFP was ready to go, and then it didn't go. And now we're continuing.

Well, we've put one out, and then we have others in line. It takes working with the AG to get the terms right, and, we're making some effort there to ensure that it meets more of the, IDIQ requirements that the AG likes to see in these job order contracts. So we're making those changes.

So what happened in the contract prior to the to this the one? I mean, you obviously you obviously worked with the AG on those. So what's different?

That was before my time, and I'm not sure how that was processed, but we work closely with the AG on all of our contracts.

Right. But in the meantime, this has been ongoing. So you they do you always not have the time to move with the AG to get this moving?

We are it is moving.

Yeah. But after how many how long?

It's well, we put one out. We have others that are going out. Yes. Yeah. Which is why we support the resolution.

I know

you do. And then why do you think we put the resolution? Because there's been a delay. Because you've not been getting it out timely. That's why we have these resolutions.

So I'm glad that you folks are in support of it, but just being in support is not enough. It's like, you know, you guys need to be acting timely. We have such a backlog. Okay. The other question is, does the principals know about this program that they can u utilize it?

They don't utilize the job board of contracting directly. The, OFO uses it when it's, responding to projects.

Yeah. But I thought that was the whole the whole purpose of these small contracts, that principals can, for small items, go right to right to the contractors and not have to go through the whole process. Isn't that the whole purpose of this?

If the if it's a school initiated project, we have guidance out for the principals and the CASAs that they've reviewed. And if it's a school initiated project, they can go through that process and coordinate with our office awful. And it might go through a job order contracting, which helps expedite the process. Right.

Because I've had heard the principals say, oh, we didn't know about this. We could have this to do the door that we needed replaced, stuff like that. But, again, if the people that need it don't know it's there, whose job is it to make sure that the principals and the schools know what are the resources so that they don't have to wait. They don't have to have delays.

Yeah.

So they may or may not know about the particular mechanisms used for procurement for the projects, but they do know about the guidance for school initiated projects, which they can, follow. And

What job is that?

so but who who ensures that they they understand and notice?

Well, we do trade well, the guidance was sent out. I'm sorry. I don't have the the date exactly. I believe it was November, of last year. It went out to all of the CASAs and principals with the guidance for school initiated projects and school initiated, or the CIP process and also school ECs.

So shouldn't it be then the CASes to work with they work the closest with the principals?

We also do training. We did some training on this.

Yeah. To do this?

Yeah. We did. Yes.

Okay. Well, obviously, there's a disconnect because a lot of principals don't realize that they have this available. And if they don't realize that means somewhere along along the line, either they didn't get the information, they didn't read it, the CAS's didn't make sure that they got it. And so those are the kinds of things that we hear, And that's why these resolutions surfaced because of that. So I hope you folks look at these resolutions and seeing why it's not just, oh, yeah.

We're doing it or we're gonna do it. But why? Why is it they're bringing it up? Because we're getting

No. We take these resolutions very seriously.

I don't make these things up. Yeah. It's coming from the schools, from the principals, from your people out there. And supposedly, they're not able to communicate with you guys. I don't know what it is, but there's obviously a disconnect somewhere.

Okay. Cheers. Thank you, Senator.

It's a real quick question. You have existing contracts already to the jobs program.

Right.

Why don't you just continue them? Why do you need to redo the contracts into something new?

Well, you can only continue them so many times and then you have to send out a new RFP form.

Yeah. But but not kinda to her point. I mean, it's like we're working on the G's office to include these new things. Well, why just put out the proposals that they existed under the previous contract?

Well, we have to make some changes from the you know, it's always evolving contracting and laws. And so, you know, the the the main point is that the JOC program is in place and it's being used. Right?

But what's changed? I don't remember any new laws passing that would or anything that would or what can you point to to say? Well, because of this law that passed with this federal thing that we now have to change X Y Z.

It's we do what we told when we advised, but it has to do with, sort of how you rank the contractors who are under the contract before you move on to a next project and, you know, how that scoring goals and so some technical things, but we do have the jock thing in place, jock program in place. We're working on the new RFPs. We have issued some.

We are in line to issue others, which is why we support the resume and can meet that deadline.

Yeah. I just don't I gotta disconnect myself. I just don't you got a great one working on Maui. We already have the I won't name them personally, but they're they're already under a contract. It's just a matter of issuing the same con unless there's a thing, well, you guys passed HRS blank, so therefore, we're having to change this.

But I haven't seen or heard anything that would warrant a hold up in just saying, okay. We're gonna basically put out the RFPs that existed before knowing that with a very limited base of entities to actually bid on them. They're probably gonna be the same entity bidding on it and getting it, you know, getting it again.

So I guess that's what my questions were about.

Yeah.

It seems to be that all the pieces are in place. What new has happened to warrant this new intrusion of the AG's office into the contracts so that we're aware. Right? Yeah.

Well, we appreciate the advice.

Yeah. But what tweak? Every contract or every RFP needs a tweak. It doesn't take this long. So I'd like you to show us what the contract is and what's the new contract and where are the changes exactly.

Because my understanding is there's not many changes that really didn't warrant this delay. Senator Moriwaki?

I just wanted to know what is the job? How does it operate? Because my understanding is you have a job order, and it should be quick because you have all of these contractors sort of, like, prescreened in a sense so that you can actually go in and say I got, you know, a door to fix or whatever. And it's not going through a whole RFP process.

So I don't understand when you're saying you have to do another RFP.

Yeah. That's that's exactly what we have in place now. So the we have the job order contracting in place. We just need to issue new RFPs for the next cycle because, you know, they they are on a cycle, you know, every so many years. Yeah.

So the when it says that you folks discontinued it, why did you discontinue it then?

We didn't discontinue it.

So it's so you've constantly had this jock in place so that people can come in and say, I got this order.

Yes.

At least long wait list.

At least this one since 2019. We have not stopped the JOC contract.

Yeah. The contract ended, but they didn't go out with the RFP. Oh, so And so they've extended, extended, extended. And then now they're saying it's because the changes, which has really not been changes, and so when the people told me that, in fact, they had the RFP all ready to go, it was ready to go, and it didn't go. Okay?

So I get this information. So I hear your excuses, but, really, the people that were there said it was ready to go, and you somebody didn't pull the trigger.

So isn't it regularly done so that you do have this on an ongoing basis so you don't have to constantly do an update? Because it seems like it's the same process.

Yeah. It's on it's on a cycle. And so we have the contracting in place. We, issued, a few RFPs, and we have others in line that we do. You know, it's capacity. There's a lot of these ones that we have to issue.

So what was changed then if if you do it on ongoing basis? Seems like it's an automatic renewal and you get people who can do painting or plumbing or whatever.

Well, the big contract for fairness and transparency and procurement, you want the businesses to compete for it. So, you know, it's on a cycle, several years, and then you enter into a new RFP put on new RFP while the other one's ending. But we never stopped it. We have it. It's an ongoing program.

So what is the disconnect then? Because what Jerry is saying is you you should have gone out for an RFP. So there was a lag instead of being continuous because you're gonna have all these requests coming in on a continual basis. So you don't wanna have the lag. So what is done so that you don't have the lag, that you constantly have that open sort of portal for people to come in and say, I've got, you know, small repairs to do.

Yeah. There's no there's no lag. It's just the technical document. It's in place, the program. It's just that the new updated RFP for all of them because some have, but not all of them have been put out yet for competition.

But while that's happening, you know, we have the existing contracts still in place and working.

So you're doing it before the contract lapses to to be able to have no gap.

There's not gonna be a gap in in the JOC contracting, opportunity. Yeah.

How many extensions have you had?

Jeez. I know one had three extensions. I don't have all in my head.

It keep getting extended instead of going out in a timely basis. That's why we have this because this next extension ends in 2027, and we wanna make sure that you guys are up there before you have to do another extension.

Yeah. We're confident we can get it out before then.

And you are confident I know you weren't here, but, again, that's no excuse about why this stuff is going on and on.

Yeah.

Anybody else? Oh, I'm sorry. Senator Hashimoto.

So I'm trying to get this clear in my head. So what are we exactly going out for? Are you going out for the B and K portion of the con the management of the projects, or are you going out for each of the small vendors?

Yeah. So the JOC contract is, you know, we procure a contract under which we can choose many different contractors as

Somebody who manages that, right? Doesn't B and K manage that?

Well, we we manage the contract through our office. Yeah. B and K, does work for us, but we manage the contract. Yeah.

Okay. So you're going out for what? All the small contractors? Or

As as work comes in, yeah, they'll they'll look at, okay, is this one we can do under the JOC, contract?

Are you right?

Or is it a larger project?

I'm talking about what are you going out to RFP, though?

The JOC contract itself for each of the areas, like, you know, roofing or different areas. Right. Those expire after a period of time because, you know, you cannot have an evergreen contract. So you have to go out for procurement every so many years for a new jock contract.

Yes. In in so how how you set it up? Are you not doing it in smaller pieces, or are you just is it all in one large contract? Because it Yeah. If you can do it on a rolling basis, so at least you don't you know, you are not experiencing one large contract that you gotta go figure out at one point.

Have you guys really thought about what are alternatives?

Yeah. It is in smaller pieces focused on particular kinds of work.

But it sounds like that it's just it's it's gonna be one big, you know, backlog because it's you doing it all at one time versus you kinda staggering it or, you know, going out. This year, we're gonna go out for the roofs.

And

then you're gonna go out for, you know, whatever else that you need under JOC.

Yeah. I mean, there's no backlog. I mean, the projects are being addressed because there's a the JOC contracts are in place. It's just going out for a new contract to replace the old one as they expire. Right.

But, you know, I guess so the question is is when so when do you go out with the for the contractor then of of D and K, who's the contractor that in my mind my understanding is managing all these projects.

They do manage. That's yeah. They manage projects. Yeah.

Right. So when do you go out for that at the same time with all of these?

That's a separate separate contract. Yeah.

It's a separate contract?

Yeah.

So is it a different program or is it it's under JOC?

They manage some of our contracts, but JOC is a separate program for

But are they managing most of those JOC projects?

They are managing some of yeah. The projects. And then we have our contract managers in the office managing.

Yeah. So how do you differentiate between what is B and K managing and what is DOE managing?

Well, DOE has the last say because we manage the contract. And we have contractors out in the field, district project coordinators through BK out in the field managing the contracts in the different districts through our office at OFO.

Okay. So are they on all projects, or is it just select projects that we're I think we're just trying to get an explanation of

Yeah. They're on the they're on sort of smaller projects, you know, but the large RFP type projects, you know, the it's managed differently. Yeah.

For R and M or for

Your job.

Yeah. Yeah. R and M. So we're talking about CIP.

So you're moving CIP into the JOC program then?

It's sometimes yeah. CIP. Yeah. Oh,

doing CIP.

They're doing so for the new projects, like new schools, it's not that's not a JOC project. Right. But, like, repairing a roof might be a JOC process, And that that would go through the jock contracts that we have.

That's what I'm saying.

Right. Putting in a sink in in a classroom or stuff like that. Right. There's other things that principals can do and go to these contractors without going to everything.

They might be able to do a school initiated project.

And that's the whole purpose of this. Yeah. But that's why it's, like, it's not the bigger projects. Yeah.

Right. So I think we need to differentiate for us.

The basement system and been ignored on all of their RNM stuff, completely ignored. And they're asking us how to do it.

Yeah. Because I'm like not being they're not being trained or they're not being informed.

So there's a something happening that is not getting through. And maybe it's a confusion between JOCs and what is traditionally a deal we or, you know, product.

Oh, we can meet. I'd like to learn more about that issue.

I'd love to do it.

Well, I think the bottom line is if there's no clarity to us of what you're trying to accomplish, then I think I'm not sure how there's clarity within the system. And so I hope we can figure out how this all connects and who's in charge of what and when what needs to go out to RFP and when it needs to go out to RFP by.

It does concern me a little bit that there is a disconnect of how we're using this program a little bit.

Thank you, Chair.

Senator Moroz. Senator Moroz.

Go ahead. Okay.

So I think the disconnect is also among the principals and those who are using your system. So how does your portal work? I mean, if I have a request, I put it in, when do I get a response that I'm gonna get some work done? And is it is it something that's very responsive or I just wait

in line for, you know, until we finish your line for I don't know, until we finish your RFP and that process? How can you expedite the user getting the information and getting the work done for their school?

Right. So they can put in work orders the at the schools. The work orders go into a system we have, which is called Maximal. And that if it's neighbor island, it's processed through DAGS. If it's, Oahu, it's processed through our facilities maintenance branch.

And then, you know, if it depending on what the project is, if it's a large project or if it's repair and maintenance, then, you know, we might use JOC for that. If it's a project that we can put out, it's a smaller project. If it's a larger project, we might have to use a longer RFP process. But it all starts with putting a work order into our system. So sometimes we find that there are issues on on at schools that, you know, we weren't aware of.

It wasn't in the work order. And when we were made aware of it, we we go out to the site and and meet with the principals and, you know, work with them about, okay, how do we get this stuff into the system?

You know, and if it's a really large project, sometimes it ends up on a different maintenance list, and then that's a different prioritization process, that we have with the CASAs and the principals, make budget request to the legislature for, you know, money in the, deferred maintenance bucket, lump sum so that we can address those projects that are prioritized, through the system. And if it's larger, you know, CIP line items, we know we get funding for that.

And so it just depends on these the little smaller work order type repair maintenance projects? Or are these, you know, end up on the deferred maintenance list?

And So I guess I'm looking at it from the user's perspective. Right? I got I got a roof leak or I've got a a painting job to do and the wall is, you know, is is spackling or whatever. And I want I want the job done. And and do I put it in the work order and how do I know that it's gonna be worked on or I get a response?

When is that communication with the user or the one who's requesting and the job being done? And what is the time frame for that? Like, one year?

That is that is, definitely something that, I have, looked at and really want us to improve on, which is that, communication and the outward facing part because we do have, again, the maximal for the work orders where, you know, principals can get on the system or their staff to see where projects are. And And sometimes it's not very clear. So we're trying to make it better.

We're in a process now of updating that software and our, also CPT for CIP tracking and put a focus on the outward facing. So so folks can see in school communities more easily, like, where these projects are.

Otherwise, it's a phone call. They can call a FNB branch or work with the DPCs on out of the in the districts.

Because I would think the job would be a much more expedited prepare for the for the students and, you know, what kind of timelines so that it is something I put in. And at least within the next couple of months, I get a response that we're gonna do it.

Since what if somebody comes to assess it, whether it's a higher level repair or whether we could send somebody out and just do the paint job or whatever.

Yeah. And and and that's the process. If we can get to it really quick with with with JOC, we use that. If it's a longer process, you know, we communicate with the schools. Right now, in response to the storms, we we're we're acting pretty quick on reopening schools and and getting them clean and safe.

And that's through the same work order system that we're talking about.

For the for my school needing to have on mud taken out, then jock or work order? Or

Yeah. Some of it is, you know, might go through jock. Some of it might be larger, like the Konawaena School is a larger effort, which is not through Jack Kent.

Thank you, Jia. Senator Kidani?

Yeah. So what is that threshold as to cost of a project that they can do it from the school themselves? The principals can order something. Oh, for It has to come through a contract.

They have, the school initiated projects. It's a conversation that the school needs to have with our office. And, you know, there is a threshold, but I'm sorry. Off the top of my head, I don't have the guidance.

But there is a threshold. Threshold, and is it dependent upon the size of the school or elementary, middle, or high school?

It's a monetary amount.

Correct. Okay. What is that monetary amount dependent upon? Is is it

Or the value of the work?

The value of That's the value of the contract right there. Yeah.

School?

Okay. Yeah. So Okay.

So if it costs over a certain amount of money, do we need mud or mold? We'd have to go through a traditional project funding process to do that.

If it's a larger project. Yes. So, but the so for the storm event, the Konawaena High School reopening it, it's a huge I mean, there was a lot of damage. And so that couldn't be through small contracting. And we have to go out for that.

Yeah. So a lot of time to to spend and meanwhile, the mold never sleeps. I'm sorry, Chair. Adjunctity of yours.

Well, the whole purpose of this is to speed up the

repair and maintenance, small jobs. And it says here in the way as whereas job order contracting allows the Department of Education to rapidly procure construction services through prequalified contractors, standardized pricing, simplified work order procedures, significantly reducing procurement timelines compared to traditional low bid contract methods.

So this whole thing is that if I'm a principal and my door's gotta be replaced, I should be able to go to this contractor, get it done, put in a work order, wait, find out where it is, go on a line, job tracker not updated. You don't know where it's at. It's a mess.

It's a complete mess. And the whole purpose of this is to allow the principals to do this. Now does the principals have, like, a little lump sum that they can spend on these projects?

I'm not aware that they have a lump sum.

Okay. Well, you know,

that's something that you guys should be looking at. Should they have a certain amount, you know, $5,000 and I'm not sure if if a job can be done and they can deal with it instead of going through this whole bureaucracy that you guys have set up. Because it that's the whole purpose of this, to be simplified, standardized pricing, you know. But it's not being done, and all you're giving us is all this, you know, rhetoric about reasons which I don't buy into it.

So, you know, I'm sorry.

This is that's why we have this resolution. Any other questions, members? Hearing none, thank you.

Thank you. Okay.

Alright. We'll move on to the next resolution, SR 25, urging state agencies and the University of William S. Richardson School of School of Law to collaborate and develop externship opportunities for law students to assist in the conference of review and much needed review and update of the Hawaii administrative rules. We have first to testify the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women. There you are patiently waiting.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Good afternoon. Yasmin Cheney for the Commission on the Status of Women. We stand on our written testimony in support of this resolution as administrative rules shape the implementation of laws and policies that directly affect gender equity, inclusion, and access to resources.

We thank the committee for their consideration and support. Thank you very much. That's all the testimony we have received on this measure just to do a sweep. Is there anybody in the audience or out there in Zoom wishing to testify on this measure? Seeing none. Members, are there any questions of this resolution?

Seeing none, I guess we'll go right into decision making then.

Okay. We're ready. Okay. Recommendation for SR 201 and SR 189. And this is the, job order contractee that we just to extensively discussing.

The recommendation number is to pass an SD one. I would like to amend on the last page, page four. There's the one, two, three, and four report that should be, given to us. On that, I'd like to include that they report on how are they, one, informing the principals, training the principals to make sure they understand this this, this whole job thing and what it is that they're supposed to be doing.

Also, possibly putting in there or whether or not the principals should in fact be have some kind of.

That's a great idea.

Is fund that they can take care of small purchases. Yeah. And to do have

a month.

And I know there's been a bill that allowed DOE to go from 50,000 to 250,000. But, again, I'm not sure how that principle is working. So we do wanna get get things down to the school level and to the principles.

Yes. So I'm thinking that, you know, what they should be doing is streamlining their system because if they're going out to PPE constantly, it's not just a big point. It's really trying to get the services out. So maybe we have to streamline Streamline. Yep.

So that, principal or users could have more access and Yeah.

So maybe you're hearing this. Right? Oh. We're adding in, be it resolved for or streamlining the system and making sure that the user, the principals, know what what's what's available to them.

We're actually communicating on this. Yeah.

Is that getting a copy of this resume for you?

No. We should. Let's add them

in there because they're.

Because they're the new virus.

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. We'll add that in. Also, in the committee report, I would like to to, emphasize how this should be this process should be simplified and how we should be empowering the users. Any other discussion? Questions?

No. Just so that they have, more information on direct access to the JOC awareness.

K. With direct access. Okay. There are no more discussion. The Chair recommends that we pass SCR 201 and SR 189 with amendments.

[Roll Call]

Committee and government operations, same recommendation. SR 25, Senate draft one. I vote yes.

[Roll Call] Recommendation's adopted.

Thank you very much.

Okay. Same recommendations for the education committee to pass as is.

Oh, I've been being recommended. We're just voting. We were voting as a tail on the first one. Your expediency. We can only have this in the job program.

We've been getting stuff done. Okay. Recommendation on SR 25 Members. This is a great reso. I introduced bills like this in the past because we have so many laws that have been passed that have no longer on the books and they're still making rules on them.

It's out of control. So recommendation is as is. Members, questions, comments? If not

Oh, it might need some technical nonsense.

Nah, it's a rezo, don't worry about it. SR 25, if it was a bill I would, but this is a resolution. So SR 25 as is. Okay.

[Roll Call] Recommendation is adopted.

Thank you, Members.

Okay. Same recommendation for Committee on Education to pass as is. Chair votes Aye.

For SR 25 to pass as is. [Roll Call] Measure's adopted, Madam Chair. Okay.

Thank you. And That'd be concluded.

Call to order the committee on education. We are on the 1:03 agenda on Senate concurrent, Concurrent Resolution 140, Senate resolution 132. This is urging the Department of Education and University of Hawaii at Manoa to adopt energy savings performance contracting pursuant to Section 36-41.

Hawaii revised statutes as a primary strategy to address deferred maintenance and infrastructure modernization, improve energy efficiency statewide.

Good after good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the committee. Jesse Suki, Deputy Superintendent of Operations, Department of Education. We stand on support. Our testimony was submitted. Thank you.

Thank you. Hawaii State Energy Office.

Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the committee. Monique Zampas for the Hawaii State Energy Office. Our testimony is on the proposed SD1 for the energy performance contracting. It should be support. I believe it was written as comments.

You are supportive of this measure, and I am available for questions.

Thank you. Hey. Johnny May Perry in support. Not here. Anyone else wishing to testify on Senate Concurrent Resolution 140 or SR 132?

Hearing that? Questions. So, Dewey. So is this something that you folks have looked at in the past, or this is new to you? Or where what stages are you in?

I know you're in support. But

Yes. We support the measure. We are working on a project, an RFP for an energy savings performance contract that's in review now.

Okay. So where where where are we where are we at on that, though? And have you folks got any kind of preliminary?

Yeah. It's in it's in review now. And like the rezzle says, you know, we're looking at when we put up the RFP to have it include taking care of the roof structure and the facilities around the units, the AC units as part of the performance requirements for the contract. And so we're sort of, excited about it. It's gonna be very helpful for energy, being more green, and having a smaller, carbon footprint, but also, taking care of some of our, different maintenance issues.

Okay. I know you are new on the position, but, this whole whole energy efficiency and, savings energy savings performance contract is not new. So I'm just wondering at what point would the DOE stepping up to the plate to look at this, to ensure some savings? Yeah. Because it's been instituted at other institutions here in the state.

Yeah. I've actually worked on these types of contracts in other institutions in my legal capacity. So I'm not an attorney anymore, but that's why I'm excited to see that, DOE had already started on working on this before I got there. So, we're helping to move it forward and hopefully getting it out to, bid soon.

So when you say soon, what are we looking at?

You know, I have I haven't reviewed the most recent draft, so I I don't I don't wanna say until I see it. But, hopefully, by the end of next year or sooner.

End of next year?

End of this year or sooner. Sorry.

End of next year?

Yeah. Sorry. Most of the work has been done before I started, so it's just I wanna be sure it's there's a lot of details it's there's a lot of details in these type of agreements that you have to be sure you get right for the long term cost of having it. And my staff has been coordinating with the energy office who leads or manages the types of contracts for the state.

Who's who's handling do you have a energy person at DOE?

We do have a office. It's our auxiliary auxiliary branch in Ofo who works on these kinds of projects.

And they're not here to to testify?

No. Sorry.

Okay. Members, any other questions? No. Questions, Senator?

So do you have a a list of what you're going to start working on? Like, what are the the important issues or main issues that you start with?

Just just generally?

Generally, yes.

Well, specifically for OFO, I mean, the the top priorities are we're working on a strategic plan, for OFO to help improve workflows. One of the major elements of that plan is how we, communicate, the work we're doing with the schools and so that they have a better insight into what we're doing. So those are priorities. We're looking at upgrading our software, for Maximo and CPT, which tracks work orders and CIP. So we're working on that.

This energy, performance contract is one of the things I wanted to see, put out, you know, as soon as possible. They've been working on it for a while. I think we're at a point where we can we can put it out. You know, there's been some restructuring in OFO to help it focus more on project delivery and not other extraneous things.

There used to be repo graphics in there and and mail room, and those are things that we're working on moving out so all four can focus on project delivery.

You know, I'd say those are my top top priorities for o four.

I think we should also look at cost to the schools, the ones that are having high energy costs. You know, what could be done almost immediately to fix that?

Yes. Thank you.

Thank you. Do we have anybody here from UH? Okay. Why don't you come up?

I do have it up on my computer now.

Deborah.

Deborah Halbert, Vice President Academic Strategy, University of Hawaii system.

So, Deborah, are you aware of this of these, solutions and and issues because is named in the.

In the resolution. Right.

Yeah. So are you familiar that the community colleges have instituted this program starting back in 2012?

I am generally familiar with our efforts to reduce energy use on the campuses. I don't know any of the specifics about the, programs that the different campuses are involved in. However, I can communicate back and ask for updates.

Well, I had hoped because I understand all of the community colleges instituted this program, and all of them have, gotten a lot of savings and more efficiency. It did cost for the program or this whole thing over the many years, but it's more than paid off for itself. And that, it was recommended for Manoa to do it, and Manoa's never done it.

So I'm really wondering why such, success at the community colleges beginning 2012 and and seeing the success and seeing the savings happen in a matter of of several years. But it's happening, and many of those efficiencies are continuing as of today, and there's other contracts that have since been, gotten into.

But Manoa has not. So I'm wondering why Manoa spends more on electricity and and some of these other areas and certainly could use the efficiencies. So I'm just, you know, disappointed that nobody here from DOE, I mean, from the university Is here to to really explain why it is that we have embarked on it and what are we doing. I do understand that they are working on something, but I don't know the details.

So I was hoping that you would be here to give me the details.

I'm working on that back to them, and hopefully, we can get those to you as soon as possible.

Okay. Thank you. Thanks. Any other questions, Members? If not, we're moving on to oh, my.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 197, SR 185, requesting the auditor to conduct a comprehensive performance and financial audit with performance and financial audit with Department of Education's capital improvement project backlog. We have, again, DOE.

Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair. Jesse Suki, deputy superintendent of operations for the Department of Education. The department would stand on its testimony with comments, which is to follow points to make.

Of course, we support transparency, accountability, and effective stewardship of public resources. We have some comments on the the rezzle with respect to the audit item one. The department notes that the term capital improvement project backlog is not uniformly defined and is used in various con varying contexts. So if we could get a better definition of that in the in the wrestle.

And then regarding item two, you know, we transferred our current financial system in 2021, and, we have, comprehensive project level financial data really readily available for CIP projects For fiscal years twenty one to twenty five.

That's 90% about of all of our projects. So we believe that you know we have the information and data available. And you know so rest in our comments. Thank you.

Thank you. Members, I did send you out finally a list, a comprehensive list that was finally submitted to us, on all of the CIPs. So I hope you got that, and appreciate that having that list, and hopefully be that you guys will be updating that on a regular basis, yearly basis for us, and maybe filling in on areas that perhaps, we didn't know we needed. With that, I will call the next testifier, office of the auditor. Les Kondo, I don't see him here.

He does have his comments. Members, Johnny Mae, Perry, individual in support. Anyone else here wishing to testify on this measure? Hearing none, Jesse, can we have you back? So I do acknowledge your statement about clarifying what we're defining CIP projects.

How does the DOE define it?

CIP? So that that would be the bond funded projects. Right? K.

If it's not bond funded, it's not CIP?

No. It's using operating money. It might not be a, capital improvement project in that sense. No. So deferred maintenance can be capital improvement, you know, on funded projects.

So so we classify projects by the way it's funded or the type of project it is. So if we have a building and we ended up using cash, and there's times when we did supplement cash, instead of of the bonds, is that not a CIP project?

Yeah. I mean, it could be technically, you know, we haven't had cash. So

Why, again, so is it is it a good policy to to classify a CIP project based on its funding? Should it be based on or the type of project?

So we can we can work on a definition, but our thought there was that when we talk about backlog, you know, what kind of what kind of projects are we talking about? Because there are there are, like, you could talk about, like, the deferred maintenance backlog, And and those are just estimates. It's

it's capital improvement project backlog. It's clear in the.

And so those projects could be capital improvement projects. Right? But they're not they haven't been put into the pipeline for projects because they're waiting on the list for funding. So if we're gonna count that as a capital improvement backlog, then that changes how we're looking at the problem.

If we're just talking about, like, the projects on on this list that we shared, which are projects that are actually, you know, turned into projects and they they sort of waiting in different, you know, in design, for or for completion funding, you know, that's kind of a different look at the term backlog.

It just depends on how we define backlog.

So if a project has been appropriated funds by the legislature, a CIP project that is appropriated funds, is that not a CIP project?

It is. So that's what it is. Right? I mean, I don't care if it's waiting for design. I don't care if it's waiting for the fact that it it came to us as a CIP.

Yes. It is. Yeah.

We funded it as a CIP. Right. So, therefore, it is a CIP.

Right. Right. But and then so if that's how we're defining it, that's that's fine. Okay.

So I'm gonna put that definition in, into that. Okay. So we cleared that up. Is there any other questions, Members? Any other questions?

Okay, hearing none, thank you. Thank you. Okay, we are moving on to Senate Concurrent Resolution 78 and Senate resolution 8 82. And sorry. Am I wait.

That's a liar. Sorry. That's a liar. K. 7082.

Urgent the Department of Education to strengthen menstrual health education initiatives and to adopt a comprehensive menstrual cycle curriculum. We have a number of people here to testify, beginning with DOE. Who's testifying in this? Sorry.

Good afternoon, Chair Kim, Vice Chair Kidani, and members of the committee. I'm Teri Ushijima, assistant superintendent, testifying on behalf of the Department of Education. The department stands on its written testimony offering comments on SCR 78. We recognize the importance of menstrual health education as part of the sexual health education. The department continues to offer support to complex areas in schools and implementing related board policies and department requirements for puberty and sexual health education.

Should this resolution move forward, the department recommends the language changes outlined in our written testimony to strengthen the alignment and scaffolding of elementary, middle, and high school content for menstrual health education. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you, Terry. Osa Tui for HSTA. Millie?

Good afternoon, Chair and Vice Chair. Sarah Minta-Laffin on behalf of Osa Tui and HSTA. This resolution is really exciting to see. Thank you, Senator Kidani.

In 2022, you were pivotal on getting act one thirteen passed to make sure we had free period products in all of our public schools. The cool thing about this rezo is this was brought forward by the students who were benefited by that program. So one thing my employer encourages me to do as a classroom teacher is elevating student voice. We wanna make sure we're hearing our students' voices in the classroom and reflecting on that.

So the students who've been provided these these materials in their classrooms are now asking for better menstrual education.

I got to meet with some of these advocates, and what's exciting now is my eighth graders who were in my classroom, I'm now writing their college recommendation letters for college based on the work that they've done for this. We have engaged activists. You see their testimonies. You see it moving forward. You also have the data of the Ma Yi Movement, the best organization locally that knows what's going on with period poverty and education.

And what they say is that students are saying they don't know enough about their own bodies, and they wanna fix that, and that's why they came to this body. So please support. Mahalo.

Thank you. Yasmin Cheney? Not here. Nikki Annyi on Zoom. Aloha, Nikki.

Aloha, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the committee. Mahalo for the opportunity to to testify. I'm Nikki, cofounder of Ma'i Movement Hawaii, and I stand on my written testimony in strong support. Over the years, we've made incredible progress making period products easier to access in schools, and public buildings, including the capital.

Access is key, and today is a continuation of that work. When we ran the pilots in schools, we realized that having period products alone was not enough. And when given proper education, students' confidence grew and stigma decreased. As a mother, my own children understand mental health in much better ways than I ever did, and it's clear in how they show up for themselves and for others.

I'm here today because of the youth advocates that are on this call and driving this resolution because I would have hoped that they would have had the same or better experience than my own children, and they did not.

We ensured access. Now it's time to ensure education. Every student deserves accurate and comprehensive menstrual health education. I respectfully ask for your support. Mahalo.

Thank you. Joelle Watanabe on Zoom. Mahalo, Joelle.

Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Joelle Watanabe. I am a 2024 graduate of Moanalua High School, and I currently attend Boston university. I send them my recent testimony and support SCR 78 and SR 82 in being passed. To begin with, I wish I had known more about what a what a period is at an earlier age.

As I got my first period when I was nine years old, I generally thought I was dying when I went to the bathroom and saw that there was blood in my underwear. I don't remember receiving any information about the menstrual cycle in my sex ed course in elementary school, none of my mandated health classes in middle or high school. I remember attending to look up information about the menstrual cycle and went in and tells myself.

However, I felt ashamed about even looking it up due to internalized stigma. I pushed for menstrual education in Hawaii DOE public schools as I didn't have the opportunity to learn at home.

Like many students in the DOE public school system, my mother, the main provider of my household to three kids, would come home with eight hours of work and Pohana and Shabak were worrying about putting food on the table for us at dinner. And she relied on our sex ed course in school to teach us. However, it did not teach me anything about the menstrual, health and menstrual cycle. Regardless if someone has access to menstrual education, the peer would come anyway at any age.

It's best to go unprepared and to know how to manage one's menstrual cycle.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you, Joelle. Can you imagine some of us here who's been a lot older than you when we went through that? We didn't know anything. There was no there was no Google. There was no Internet for us to find out what was happening to ourselves.

But but thank you for that. Okay. Mahella, Kameha Kameha now matters on Zoom.

Not present, Chair.

Not present. Okay. Leila Mae Gonzalez.

Not present either, Chair.

Not present. Okay. That's all that I have that asked to testify in person or on Zoom. Anyone else in this room wanting to testify, miss Mitchell? Hearing none, members, do you have any questions?

I do. No need, please. And then we're gonna recess right after this so we can do our job, hearing. So So okay.

So at the grade level, does, menstrual education start? Okay.

This is our health specialist, Nadine Marsalt. So, it's usually in upper elementary school, when we do puberty education and sexual health education.

What grade is that?

Oh, fifth and sixth.

Sorry. Can you repeat the question? Because I was

At what grade level does this education start for menstrual education for our students? And is it for both boys and girls?

Yeah. So for puberty education, it's a requirement of the department within the grade span three to five. The schools can decide which grade level will best suit their school design. It's typically occurring in fifth grade, maybe fourth grade at the school at the school's discretion for the curriculum planning. And that curricula or the requirement includes information about physical, social, emotional changes of puberty and adolescence and ways to manage those changes.

So in a nutshell, it typically occurs in fourth and fifth grade instruction around puberty.

Okay. So we leave it up to the schools to decide what year. So I could have two two children, one in two different schools, and one will learn it and the other one doesn't learn till a year later. Does that make any sense?

So for health education, our standards are organized by grade span. So pre k to kindergarten through second grade, grades three to five, six through eight, and nine through 12. That's a structure within our board of education adopted standards.

I understand that. But why can't we say it should be taught at grade four or grade five? So so it's it's there's some consistency throughout the system knowing that that you're at certain grade, and it's not that, oh, the kids at third fourth grade got it, and the fifth grade people didn't get it because they're gonna get it next year or why not. You understand what I'm saying?

At certain schools, there seems to be an inequity there, an inconsistency for even for friends getting together, girls getting together talking about it.

And one said, yeah. We went out of school. The other one said, I haven't learned it because they never get to that grade yet because their school decided they're gonna do it one year later. So how do we how do we mend that? How do we fix that?

Yeah. We we can look at that.

I think we're gonna revisit, our information to schools around puberty and sexual health education. That's one of our, projects for this spring semester going into summer. So that is on the slate to to look at.

I understand, and it's sort of a common common response that, oh, it's up to the school to decide how they wanna do financial literacy. It's up to the school on the bail bail schedule. It's up to the school on on teacher waiver days. It's up to the school to decide for which grade you're gonna teach sexual education. Some of these things, I think, should be systemized across and coordinated across all the schools.

I mean, yeah, we wanna empower the schools, but at the same time, there's certain things that should be common and and predictable so that no matter what school I put my child in, I'm gonna know that at the fourth grade, they're gonna have this education or at the fifth grade, they're gonna have it. Right? So

And just to clarify what the importance of that is because Hawaii has a lot of military families And if they taught it in the the fourth grade,

but in the Mainland, they don't teach it to the to, you know, the fifth grade or whatever. That student that transfers here never never hears it. So Yeah.

If they missed it on the one there and come in on one year and they just sit here, they never get it. Right? Yeah. So what we're asking in this resolution, is it already embedded in what you said to teach?

It's part of the puberty and sexual health.

So what's what's what is new that you're going to add in based on this resolution?

Well, so we've been talking about it, and we're considering, doing, some instructional materials that we can provide for schools and have, I guess, spotlight some of the key concepts that we want teachers to be able to easily relay to our students.

So why why does it take a resolution? Why isn't this this automatic or something that the schools have initiated on their own knowing this there's a lack of Whatever.

Of puberty education and sexual health education is a expectation for all of our schools. It is a expectation.

So then why isn't some of these things now you're talking about maybe giving them a hand or maybe giving them information?

I think because if the students, as our previous testifier said, you know, if it's a need, then we wanna be responsive to some of the needs and, provide additional resources that could help.

Missing my point. Then why isn't this additionally already embedded embedded? Because, again, if there's a resolution coming to us, obviously, the people that want us to have this resolution feels that something's missing.

Well, we do have online resource listed on this website that was released in October 2022. So we do have things that are available. We are just adding more to that.

Okay. I just hope that we don't have to wait till the public gets an arm want us to do a resolution or want us to do a bill. That these are things that the schools are looking at to be proactive to make sure that we are educating our children in most important areas, not just stem and how to add and how to subtract and all of that, but also in personal development and hygiene and and stuff like that.

Yes. So so we do have, but we we just will enhance it more.

So are you aware at what grade level Mainland schools teach this curriculum?

Mental health education. There's no national data collection data around that specific topic isn't gathered in relation to what schools implement just like, they don't gather information about whether schools talk about body hair or, you know, body odors that occur, during puberty and adolescence. We are aware of a couple states that are implementing menstrual health education. I believe California and Oregon. So we're just starting to look at some of their examples, knowing that this resolution is is, moving through the legislature.

Well, that's why, I guess, I'm concerned because we have a lot of military population and, you know, they're not getting this education at all on the Mainland, and we're not teaching at the appropriate time here. So I'm not sure if we also teach it in at a high school level or not.

Okay. Thank you.

I have a two part question, please. So according to Act one thirteen, do you folks know, how much money is being appropriated into those products?

Oh, I don't have that number, but we can look into it.

Give it to us.

We will work with our office of student support services, and we will get that information.

Okay. Yeah. Because it actually taps into the second part of my question, which because your testimony states that, the department already provides a comprehensive medically accurate sexual sexual health education. However, according to the data, it says about forty eight percent of students receive little or no information before their first period. So I think it's important to understand that the legislature is appropriating funds so that these products can be available in every school, public school, and charter school.

But then if there's no education, then there's not really that process to be followed if they don't know what it's there for. I'm assuming these products are being held in the health room or maybe in even in some classrooms. So maybe if you go to some state buildings, there are the machines there. So I think the missing piece of this is the education piece. And I don't wanna speculate, but it sounds a little bit by your testimony that it's kind of like as needed form

of education as opposed to what vice chair was talking about it being just a blanket education because we're not going to know. They're not going to know until they know, and by then, it's too late.

Yes. And it has been a part of what we teach. I know as a fifth and sixth grade teacher, you know, and we taught both, puberty as well as sexual health education. And we, you know, coordinated across the different classes in that grade level, so and that was been a year, you know, years ago, So, there has been, a focus, on puberty and sexual health education, throughout the years.

I think what we what we are hearing is that, although we have things currently, it would be beneficial to have more.

Yeah. Well, when the data shows that only forty eight percent of students are receiving little or no information, I think there's a huge gap that we're missing yet I'm gonna assume that millions of dollars is getting poured into these products. I don't wanna speculate, but I believe that when you get me the information, it will validate my concern, which is taxpayers are paying for these products, but the department is not really helping to educate the students for them to use that.

But I guess you can get us that information when you can. But there is a very large gap in the educational piece, which is clear by the data.

Thank you, chair.

Last thing I wanna say is that according to one of the testifiers, she said she got her period when she was nine. And so if you enter kindergarten at five, you're nine at fourth grade. But if if some schools choose not to teach it until fifth grade, then that student, I mean, again, you know, will will have the traumatic experience without be or knowing what it is that they're going through. So

And also, yes, that that could be true. And also, I think there are students who don't have this kind of education and information from their homes. Right.

So I was saying Yes. Earlier the better. I mean, I'm not saying, like, third grade or kindergarten, but I think fourth grade, if if students are getting it from nine years old, and I know they are, then, you know, better that they get ahead of time. So when when it does happen, they're not traumatized. You know, I know I was traumatized, and I felt embarrassed, about it. So

Yeah. Just a follow-up. I think, and because, we live in Hawaii where it's expensive, and a lot of times both parents have to work and the mother doesn't get around to give or the father to give this information to their daughters, I think it's important and because we have a large military influx that we're does DOE know what states, at what level they get this kind

of education health education, suits?

So I think, that information according to meeting is not readily available because it's not collected nationally.

Is that right?

Elementary health, I don't I'm not aware of any national, like, comprehensive health education data collection. And I believe there's even one state where health education at least one state where health education is not a required

There are there are national conferences or whatever

Yes.

That can help you get that information. But my concern is that we have students coming into the state that have missed this opportunity. So we have to figure out what that grade level is that would catch some of these students.

Okay. If there's no other questions, I'm going to recess the education committee. Thank you both. Thank you.

And we're going to go into our joint committee.

Thank you. We are now convening our joint committee on education and committee on Hawaiian affairs with our chair of Hawaiian affairs, Senator Richards and his committee. Welcome. We are on our 01:01 agenda.

I hit them at 2:09, And, we are starting out with Senate Concurrent Resolution 162, Senate resolution 153, requesting the Department of Education to convene a shared decision making committee to develop an action plan to establish k through 12 Kaiapuni School in Kapolei. Testifier beginning with Carlos Panazola from the University of Hawaii, West Oahu. Leward, nobody. Okay. Keith Hayashi.

That would that I would like you guys to take a look at the recommendations for language change to the resolution, and I can be available for questions if necessary.

Aloha. Thank you. Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Not present. Joel Olani Lilly on Zoom.

Not present, Chair.

Not present. Okay. Andrea Dias Machado.

Aloha. Aloha, my Chair Kim, Chair Richards, Vice Chair Kidani, Vice Chair Lamosao, and Members of the Senate committees on education and Hawaiian affairs. I'm Andrea Diaz Machado. I'm the president of Kealohio Eva, and I'm sharing testimony in strong support of SR 153 and SCR 162.

I stand by my written testimony, and I'd like to add that these resolutions provide a pathway for the Department of Education, the system, and the community, which is really the key part of of this resolution, to achieve collective impact together through a common agenda that will center the needs of our Keiki Kayapuni, our our our Kayapuni students, and will create a critically needed K-twelve Kula Kaiapuni and Kapolei for generations of Hawaiian immersion learners now and into perpetuity.

Mahalo nui for your time, presence, and the opportunity to testify. Hawaii. Mahalo.

Aloha, everyone. My name is Kiana Rodriguez. I live with my Ohana in Halawa. I am here today to reaffirm my support, for these resolutions. Accessibility to Hawaiian immersion education is an important issue to my Ohana, especially as a Kanaka Oiwi who was raised in diaspora.

When Kikula Kaiupuni opened its doors, my daughter was given back the opportunity to continue her Kaiupuni education after graduating from Wai'au. For many Ohana in our position, traveling to Palolo, Kaneohe, or Kahuku to attend other, Kula Kaiupuni is not a feasible option due to the distance from home and work. My son will be entering kindergarten this upcoming school year, and currently, the high demand for Harabedian immersion in the means that the only elementary option is at capacity.

These resolutions will create an actionable plan so Ohana will not have to face uncertainty around if is attainable. For the opportunity to testify.

Thank you, Hannah. Let's see. We have, 27 were in support, no opposition, four comments. That is all the ones that signed up to testify in person, but do I have anyone here in the audience wanting to testify on this measure? Please.

Just identify yourself, please. Thank you.

Aloha mai takou. Thank you for the opportunity. I am a humble servant from Powayo Valley up the valley here. Born and raised there with my grandmother, Mariah Nama Hawaii, from Waiakea. She taught me learn your olelo because it is the foundation of who you are as a native Hawaiian.

And all of that has stayed with me all my life. And I live in Pauoa. I love my valley of Pauoa. And I'm proud to say I'm a proud native of it. I say it's because I'm here to lend my Leo Kakou, my voice of support, to the resolution in support of establishing the very first school of Keala Kaiapuni in West Oahu in Kapolei to benefit all of our Ohana out there as far as Makaha, Waianae, Makakilo, Kailua, Nana Kuli, and Ma'ili.

I had the opportunity to visit a small group of students there two weeks ago at Kapolei High School. These are five young Hawaiians speaking Ola Hawai'i and being hungry enough to ask Anakala Kaipo, tell us about your life in Powwow. So I said, okay. I'll bring my life stories to Powwow of Powwow to you, but you have to learn your life stories here. So I'm hoping that this resolution will help support that initiative moving forward.

Mahalo Nui.

Thank you very much. My Kumu was anti Mikey, I use. So, thank you so much. Okay. Anyone else wishing to testify?

All right. Well, Members, questions? Any questions? Yes. I should wait.

Yes. Do you? With the court.

So in DOE's testimony, there has been an acknowledgment of teacher shortage for Kiapuni teachers. However, this rezo just really calls for a plan. Right? And that just is to ensure that we have community input? Correct.

Okay. No.

No. No. I have another question. Thank you. And so in that community collective group, what are you envisioning that will be seen?

And will there be any part for the department to be at the table, or will this, in fact, be community driven?

The so historically, the the most Kaipuni schools were established at the advocacy of folks in our community. And as a result, the there was a the board of education worked with a group of parents, and they established what's called the. In Board of Education Policy. They've identified that the is the advisory committee to the Office of Fine Education on matters related to education. We convene meetings quarterly with all members, with the members in the AHA Kaleo.

It's a representative group of all schools, including our Hawaiian language immersion charter schools, that allow for parents, teachers, school administrators, and native Hawaiian education support organizations like the Office of Hawaiian Education I'm sorry, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. I'm so used to saying my own name. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, commitment schools, and then our university partners, especially those that have, that are running the two education educator preparation programs at Hilo and at Manoa.

We also have membership from BYUH as well, and they've also helped us to produce some teachers. And so in these convenes quarterly convenes is where we talk about sort of the broad issues that are facing Kayapooney education.

And recently, the department has approved, and has started implementation on its on our Kaipuni strategic planning. And through the voice is where, they were able to advocate for some of the priorities that we've established in that in that plan.

Okay. So you do see that there is an interest Yes. That is being sought out for interested Kaiopuni teachers.

Yes.

Any idea where there seems to be a lag? Because, in my community with teachers who are interested in getting into involved in kaiopuni projects, there the wall seems to stop at the standards board. So are you noticing that that's where kind of it might get a little delayed?

I think one of the things that we were successful at in working with the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board was establishment of what we call the Palapala O Kuikaba or the Hawaiian teacher permit, which allows us to bring, folks into the into the teaching pipeline.

I think we've faced some recent challenges, just trying to make sure that there's some clarity, and consistency and transparency in the way in which, the policies either in new business items of the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board or in the Hawaii administrative rules are actually implemented and communicated.

And so I think we've we've as a part of as a member of the Hawaiian work group of the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board, we've met probably about four or five times in the last year just to continue to try and seek that clarity. And we continue to work on that. We do expect that in its next meeting on April 24 that we will be able to resolve the issues that have been sort of, preventing us from opening up that pipeline a little bit more.

But absolutely. If I can also say that an an additional, concern of ours is actually getting people into the teaching pipeline. And so in the office of Hawaiian education, one of our strategic priorities is really to focus in on establishing a solid Kaiopuni teacher pipeline specifically with our educate educator preparation programs.

Okay. And I'm really hoping that we can flesh that out because the standard board, like, the whole idea of Kaiopuni is to disassociate. And so it seems like there's been a little bit of a clash there, but, thank you very much. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. So they will resolve the next meeting. Chair, did you have any questions? No. No?

No other questions? Okay. We will move on to the next agenda item, Senate Concurrent Resolution 202 and Senate resolution 190 requesting the University of Hawaii to allow an Orla, Hawaii pathway under the Ni'ihau dialect. And testifying on this measure is the university, I hope. Deborah Halbert?

Yes. Good afternoon, Chair and Vice Chair, Members of the committee. Debbie Halbert, vice president for academic strategy. We'll stand on our written testimony offering comments, and I can answer questions if you so desire

You will have questions. Okay.

Do you want me to stay here?

Yes. Okay.

Julia, Kahone, support. Cheryl Burkhart, also in support. Anyone else here wishing to testify on this measure? Hearing none. Okay.

So, obviously, there is some challenges with this. Right? And what is obviously, there's a what is the threshold in beginning a new pathway? What what kind of cost and what does it take and do you have a number of students anticipated? Because obviously, you can't be everything to everyone.

Everyone. Yeah.

So that I mean, part of the question is what kind of pathway are we talking about? Is this a

micro credential which could then just be created around a single course? Is it a degree of some kind? And we already have a Hawaiian language degree, so I'm guessing the pathway would be somewhere under a degree path. We at the university have lots of lots of pieces to the puzzle about asking for creating new degrees. As you know, we don't want to have a plurith

oh, I can't say that word, proliferation of of degrees across the system without some level of control. So if it were to be some degree, it would go through much larger scrutiny than if it was a concentration or a micro credential.

Is it some kind of threshold, like, the number of students anticipated that you would service because that you wouldn't necessarily teach rush well, we did teach rush and we have, like, two students Yes. At one point enrolled, which then was cost effective and it prevented other types of of new new types of pathways and degrees in in the future. So so what is that?

So we do we do report to the board annually on programs with a small number of graduates. We also scrutinize at the course level courses with a small number of students. In this case, I did look up the last time Hawaiian studies or Hawaiian four fifty three was taught, which is the Alala class. There are five students enrolled in that. That was spring twenty twenty four.

We wouldn't offer a course like that every year simply because it's not going to draw a huge number of students. But for a course like this, because it does serve a very specialized need, we also wouldn't wanna preclude it being offered. So we would look to making sure the enrollments

So when you say a course Course, is that one year, one semester?

One semester.

And that that's it.

Yes. That would be it.

And that you think satisfy this pathway?

We could well, if there was an interest in creating a credential around it, it would be something like a micro credential where you would say I have this specialized credential that looks specifically at Alola.

And what kind of time commitment with that in cost commitment

to I would imagine it could be built around the the existing course that's on the books already. But, you know, then it's a matter of if there's interest in whether students would take the course.

We were to amend this to say micro credentials.

That would give us more flexibility in trying to determine what kind of pathway could exist.

Question.

So where was this course? At what campus was this course?

It's at Manoa in Hawaii's in the Hawaiian language. It's a 400 level course, so there are some prerequisites. You'd have to be fluent. You would have to have gone through the existing Hawaiian language courses.

Do any kind of research as to where there might be more interest, whether it's in the, communities where they have more Hawaiian?

So we did reach out to all of our vice chancellors for academic affairs when this resolution was posted to find out where everybody was standing in terms of Hawaiian language specific to this question. Obviously, Kauai has, potentially the most connection to. However, they expressed that they already have trouble finding faculty to teach, Hawaiian generally, let alone in the specific interest. But you're right. There is going to be more or potentially more interest in Hawaiian.

have the opportunity to do things online. I'm just seeing that

True.

Yes. If you reached out to, you know, various communities because you could have the entire state online at different locations.

That is true. Absolutely. And

So that's what I'm asking. Was that looked at?

Well, since this particular resolution has come out, we have not looked at whether or not it could be offered online. I think there's also the concern that one of the faculty that could teach it has retired. So there's some work to still be done to to build that out. But absolutely, online courses, especially in very specialized areas, is one of the things we're looking at more generally so that we can be sure to reach our in rural or in those areas.

Teacher may be willing to teach online, so I think we should look at all various opportunities. Thank you.

I can see the challenges online because you would have to have somebody that can can teach that and also create the online. And online is a little bit different. It is. Yeah. Neon bionic Right.

Could possibly, yeah, have some challenges with with the technology and their language.

Yeah. This is a very specialized course and a specialized expertise.

Even many Hawaiians don't speak the dialect. Exactly. And there is even within that area where there's controversy as to how certain words are pronounced.

The chair. Yeah. That's a great segue into what I was just gonna say. Nihao is it's got a special unique need based upon this and I get that. But, in my experience with Hawaiian, we have regional dialects all the way across all the islands and pronunciations, just what you were talking about Different words.

How do you address that? And if we're addressing that, I can't think of there's a more standardized Hawaiian taught, but then we have regional dialects like you'd find in any other language.

So you're going a little bit beyond my expertise in how we teach Hawaiian, but we do have Hawaiian language taught at University of Hawaii, University of Hawaii well, at all of our universities, I believe. And so there are faculty who've been trained in different dialects and then are teaching according to their training. So, yes, there are active conversations at the university over how to teach and how and what constitutes the teaching of Hawaiian language. But I can't say more than that because I'm

I'm just intrigued that this brings up the conversation. Like, for instance, in Kahala, we have Rain Naulu, which on the what do you call it? West Side Of Maui, they they know Naulu, but Kau doesn't necessarily know Naulu. And so and and just how do you deal with all these different regional differences? And This obviously is a special need because of the uniqueness of the EO.

Absolutely.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Thank you.

Any other questions, Members? And we are going to direct them to discission making. Thank you. With you, Chair. Okay.

Members for Senate concurrent Resolution 162,153. This is requesting the department convened a shared decision making committee for Kaiapuni School in Kapolei. Recommendations that we amend Senate Concurrent Resolution and this current Senate resolution starting with page three members, on the top line, lines one, principles from relevant. We're gonna include elementary, middle, and high schools. Right now, elementary is not there, and and they should be.

And then followed up by designees, Nanakuli Elementary, Hawaiian elementary and then further down on the same page around line 23, under number six, we'll say instead of three community members before community members and under B, we'll say one parent of an elementary kaiapuni program. Okay. And I think oh, one more, on page four, on line six, under five, the statewide and the impact on current Coyote Schools and programs. So with those technical amendments, is there any discussion Members?

Chair, I don't have quorum.

Okay. We'll go ahead and take our vote then on this side and then Okay. So Members, any discussion? Hearing none, the Chair votes Aye as we amend voting on 162 and SR 153 to amend as discussed, for the certain certain amendments to the measure. Thank you.

Chair votes Aye.

[Roll Call] Motion is adopted, Madam Chair.

And for the committee on Hawaiian affairs, SCR 162, SO 153, passing with amendments. Same recommendation. Chair votes Aye.

Thank you.

K. For committee on Hawaiian affairs, for SCR 162 and SR 153, recommendation of the Chair is to pass with amendments. [Roll Call] Chair recommendation is adopted.

Thank you.

I think one correction number is on page three. I said Nanakuni Elementary and Wai'anae Elementary. It's not Wai'anae, it's Wai'au Elementary. But it's Nanakuni Elementary. So with that, we're gonna move on for decision making for SCR 202, SR 190, and this is with Christine the University of Hawaii, Aloha, O'Loa, Hawaii pathway with the under the Nihao dialect.

Members, after the hearing, the testimony, recommendation is that we amend the resolution to, clarify the pathway could be a micro, credential.

So we and then give them the latitude if they want to take it. Any discussion on this? Hearing none, Chair votes Aye.

So this is for SR 190 and SCR 202? Correct. [Roll Call] This is adopted. K.

Thank you. And that ends our joint committee. Oh, you got it.

Whoa slow down, Chair.

Automation. I wanna Automation.

Yeah. Going too fast. Committee on Hawaiian Affairs for SCR 202, SR 190 accepting the same amendments. Chair votes Aye. Okay. Vice Chair.

Her Members on committee on Hawaiian affairs, for SCR 202 and SR 190. Recognition of the Chair is passed with amendments. With the members present, anyone voting with reservations or no? Hearing none, Chair recommendation is adopted.

Okay. Now No. Now. We are we are adjourning the joint committee between education and

Call to order the joint committee on education and committee on agriculture and the environment. Welcome Senator Gabbard and his committee. We are on our one zero two agenda items. One resolution Concurrent Resolution one three zero and Senate resolution 122, urging the Department of Education and Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to jointly develop the farmer to institution coordination plan that is aligned with the Aina Kitchen Network rollout. Testifying for this measure is DOE.

Good afternoon, Chairs, Vice Chairs. Jesse Suki, Deputy Superintendent of operations of the Department of Education. We provide testimony with comments and stand on our testimony. But in a short just a summary of what we've had to say in there, we believe that we are meeting a lot of the reporting requirements in here. One is that we are entering into an MOA with several agencies to address some of the issues that DOE alone cannot address.

We prepare the menus. We order the food. But CTAHR is helping out with where the produce can be grown, the Department of Agriculture as part of that MOA, and several other agencies. And then we have a larger working group that we work with, including the Hawaii Farm Bureau and the private sector to figure out how we and farmers to figure out how we get, food from the farm, to the school and on that menu. So regarding the audit, I see my time's up, but if I

Can I call you back for a question? Okay.

Thank you.

Let me just get through this. It's really quick. Laura Zirbel on Zoom in support.

Not present Chair.

Okay. Daniela Spocho for Hawaii Apppleseed in support, and Christine Andrews in support. Not here. Anyone else wishing to testify in this measure? Okay.