A joint hearing of the Senate Committee on Education and the committees on Labor and Technology and other panels on Feb. 5, 2025, in Room 229 considered a package of education bills. The committees voted to pass Senate Bill 420, which would extend Department of Education workers’ compensation coverage through July 31 for newly graduated high school students participating in DOE‑sponsored work‑based learning programs; the committees also moved forward a set of bills on school meal pricing, school capital planning, early learning board membership and early‑educator stipend accounting, and deferred a measure on cell‑phone rules to the Board of Education.

The most immediate outcome was action on Senate Bill 420. The bill would make newly graduated high school students eligible for DOE workers’ compensation during the summer after graduation while they participate in DOE‑sponsored internships and other work‑based learning. Deputy Superintendent Tammy Chun testified the department stands in support, said the extension would cover students through July 31, and estimated the program could reach “somewhere in the ballpark of maybe 50 to 100 in the first year.” Chun said DOE has not recorded prior workers’ compensation incidents for interns and that the department’s current workers’ compensation funding would cover any costs tied to the extension. The committees passed SB 420 with amendments; the education committee’s recommendation was adopted (recorded as five ayes). The committees also deferred the bill’s effective date to July 1, 2050 for later budgetary reconciliation.

Why it matters: Supporters said the change would smooth the transition from high school to the workforce by keeping students covered while participating in structured, DOE‑sponsored internship experiences. Committee members asked how many students would be affected, whether unpaid interns would be covered, and who currently provides coverage; DOE clarified that interns who are employees already receive workers’ compensation as employees, that interns may be unpaid in some placements, and that the change would continue the department’s coverage for a short post‑graduation period through July 31.

Other committee actions:
- School meal cost statute (Senate Bill 789): The committee voted to pass SB 789 with amendments to change the statutory threshold for meal‑price cost recovery to one‑fourth of the cost of preparing the meal, and to defer the bill’s effective date to July 1, 2050. Department of Education witnesses explained current meal pricing (DOE charging roughly $2.75 while estimated meal cost is about $9) and asked that any statutory change align with the department’s administrative bill package; public health and advocacy groups testified in favor of removing or lowering the statutory price threshold to avoid sudden large increases. The education committee recorded five ayes in favor of the amended version.

- Local farm‑to‑school appropriation (Senate Bill 894, proposed SD1): The committee adopted the proposed SD1, which appropriates funds to help reach a goal that 30% of food served in public schools be locally sourced. The recommendation to adopt the SD1 was adopted (committee vote recorded: four ayes, one member excused).

- School capital improvement planning (Senate Bill 449): The bill would establish a school capital‑improvement modernization initiative and a planning database. The Department of Education and the School Facilities Authority testified with differing views: DOE said the department is best positioned to oversee overall planning and that the database may be more appropriate in DOE, while the School Facilities Authority said a district‑aligned data schema would help legislators and planners. Committee chairs recommended deferral of SB 449 (deferred for further consideration).

- Early learning governance and membership (Senate Bill 423): The committee voted to pass SB 423 with amendments, adding the state Head Start collaboration director (or designee) as an ex officio nonvoting member of the Early Learning Board and inviting the president of the Head Start Association (or designee) to participate. Executive Office on Early Learning Director Yuko Arakawa Cross and Early Learning Board Chair Elaine Yamashita testified in support; EOEL asked for language clarifying federal Head Start Act membership requirements. The committee adopted the chair’s recommendation and defected the effective date to July 1, 2050.

- Early childhood educator stipend accounting (Senate Bill 1384 / SB 13 84): The committee voted to pass the bill with amendments. The measure deletes an obsolete statutory special fund that was repealed in 2023 and directs any repaid stipend funds to the Early Learning Special Fund. EOEL testified it had deposited only small amounts to date and that, as of summer 2024, nine stipend recipients were in processes tied to repayment (totaling about $31,864). The committee adopted the recommendation and deferred the effective date to July 1, 2050.

- Cell phone rules at DOE schools (Senate Bill 684): Testimony described that schools currently set varied local cell‑phone policies, and DOE witnesses said the Board of Education is working on a consistent policy. The committee chair stated the matter will be deferred to the Board of Education for development of a statewide policy rather than advanced by this committee.

Discussion vs. decisions: The record shows a mix of formal actions (committee votes and defections of effective dates), committee direction to the Board of Education (cell‑phone policy), and requests for technical statutory clarifications (capital planning and early learning membership). Several committee members pressed DOE and other witnesses for implementation details, such as how many students would be affected by SB 420, whether interns are paid, the source of funds for workers’ compensation costs, and how meal‑price thresholds relate to proposed free‑meal bills.

Votes at a glance:
- SB 420 (workers’ compensation for recent graduates in DOE programs): Passed with amendments; education committee recorded 5 ayes; effective date deferred to 07/01/2050 (to be reconciled in budget/ways & means).
- SB 789 (school cafeteria meal threshold): Passed with amendments (change to one‑fourth of meal cost); education committee recorded 5 ayes; effective date deferred to 07/01/2050.
- SB 894 SD1 (farm‑to‑school appropriation — 30% local goal): Adopted SD1; committee recorded 4 ayes (one excused); recommendation adopted.
- SB 449 (school capital improvement modernization initiative): Deferred for further consideration; no final passage recorded.
- SB 423 (Early Learning Board membership changes): Passed with amendments; recommendation adopted; effective date deferred to 07/01/2050.
- SB 13 84 (redirect repaid stipends to Early Learning Special Fund): Passed with amendments; recommendation adopted; effective date deferred to 07/01/2050.
- SB 684 (Board of Education cell‑phone rule): Deferred to Board of Education for policy action.

What’s next: Several measures were passed by the committee with amendments and deferred effective dates that the chairs said will be revisited during budget and Ways & Means review. Bills the committee deferred or asked another body to take up (SB 449 and SB 684) will require further coordination between DOE, the School Facilities Authority, and the Board of Education.

Source: Public hearing and decision‑making session, Senate Committee on Education (joint committees), Feb. 5, 2025, Room 229. Exact excerpts from the hearing record are available in the committee transcript.