Senate Bill 1585 would establish and implement evidence‑based performance metrics for the P‑20 Partnerships for Education (P‑20) to better assess workforce‑pathway programs and to require legislative reporting.

Terry Ushijima of the Department of Education testified that the department supports the bill's goals but noted concerns about federal Perkins CTE funding and urged that the measure not adversely affect those allocations. Stephen Schatz, executive director of Hawaii P‑20 Partnerships for Education, said the bill envisions using Perkins funds differently to align programs more closely with workforce needs and regional priorities.

During questioning, committee members asked whether the bill's language and appropriation matched the intended use of funds. The Attorney General's office recommended identifying the bill as a law of statewide concern and flagged a need to clarify the appropriation language and to specify the federal funds involved, because federal funds come with statutory constraints. P‑20 and DOE officials said they were in active discussions about aligning Perkins plan changes with the bill's objectives and suggested committee report language and statutory clarifications to ensure federal compliance.

The committee recommended an SD1 that blanks out appropriation amounts, defers the effective date to July 31, 2050, and directs language clarifying the purpose and federal‑funds considerations. Committees also extended the committee report deadline to 30 days prior to session to allow more time for review of submitted reports.