STAND. COM. REP. NO. 247-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2675

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2675 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require:

(1) The Department of Education to provide and disseminate its procedures for dealing with bullying; and

(2) Principals, teachers, and staff to disseminate the Department's bullying procedures to students.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; CARES; and six individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that students' safety, social-emotional health, and well-being continues to be a top priority for the Department of Education. The Department of Education is committed to fostering culturally responsive, supportive, and inclusive learning environments, which includes ongoing bullying prevention efforts. Your Committee further finds that this measure will help further prevent bullying in public schools by requiring the Department of Education to directly inform students, parents, and school staff about its bullying procedures and make these procedures available in forms visible to students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2675, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2675, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair