House, Senate will work out differences in bills as session heads to a close
Posted: April 22, 2022
Legislative proposals that would pay teachers based on their years of service, secure funding for shortage differentials, and reinstate 21 hours of job-embedded professional development are being scheduled for joint Senate and House conference committees as this year’s legislative session enters its final weeks.
Conferees from the House and Senate will have to agree on the final language of the bills before they go to a full floor vote in both houses. Written and live testimony is not accepted during the conference process. This year’s legislative session is scheduled to conclude May 5.
“Thank you for your testimony throughout the session,” said HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. “Lawmakers heard educators’ stories loud and clear and they are supporting this effort to attract and retain qualified teachers in classrooms by paying them what they deserve.”
On Friday afternoon, a conference committee began its work on Senate Bill 2819 SD2 HD2, which would end salary compression for veteran teachers whose pay stagnated during tough economic times. The committee will reconvene to discuss the bill again Tuesday at 3 p.m.
The proposal would guarantee that teachers in Hawaii, like their counterparts around the United States, have their salaries adjusted based on their years of experience. If the bill is signed into law, more than 8,000 HSTA members would see corrections of at least $7,000 in their annual salaries to help keep them in the profession longer. The bill would also remove the class VII salary cap, which would allow more classes to be negotiated during collective bargaining and incentivize veteran teachers to take professional development courses to reclassify.
View: Bill status | Recent written testimony
Conferees also met on bill to attack period poverty in schools Friday
The joint Senate-House committee Friday also began work on SB 2821 SD2, which would provide free, quality menstrual products to students in Hawaii public schools. Should the measure become law, Hawaii would be the sixth state nationwide to provide free period products on campus.
The proposal, in its various forms, has been making its way through the Legislature since February 2020, when it was first introduced, and three years later has gained considerable support from lawmakers, fellow teachers, students, and nonprofit organizations.
View: Bill status | Recent written testimony
Shortage differentials, PD proposals still await conference committee
Conference committee meetings on measures to maintain shortage differentials and restore on-the-job professional development still need to be scheduled.
SB 2820 SD2 HD1 would appropriate funds for various teacher differentials to help address labor shortages in the areas of special education, hard-to-staff geographic locations, and Hawaiian language immersion programs. About 4,000 public school educators receive the shortage differentials.
View: Bill status | Recent written testimony
During last year’s contract negotiations, 21 hours of job-embedded professional development were removed due to budget cuts, resulting in a 1.5% pay reduction for teachers. SB 3209 SD2 HD1 would restore those hours, providing teachers the chance to hone their skills while being compensated for conducting work activities outside of regular working hours.
View: Bill status | Recent written testimony
Bills that pass out of conference committee go to the floor for full House and Senate votes. If they’re approved, they’ll be sent to Gov. David Ige, who can sign them into law, allow them to become law without his signature, or veto them.