REPORT TITLE:
School Health Aides


DESCRIPTION:
Establishes the school health services pilot project (project) to
expand the workday of health aides from six and one-half hours to
eight hours per day at twelve, public middle and high schools
statewide with enrollments in excess of one thousand two hundred
students.  Requires the department of health to report to the
legislature on the progress, experience, and recommendations for
the expansion, improvement, or discontinuance of the project.
Appropriates funds for the project.  (HB319 HD2)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        319
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the scope and
 
 2 complexity of health-related problems and needs in many of
 
 3 Hawaii's schools have increased significantly since the school
 
 4 health services program was created as a pilot project in 1970.
 
 5 Today, school health aides must deal with problems such as teen
 
 6 pregnancy, family violence, divorce, gangs, and the use of
 
 7 prescription medication for a variety of health problems.
 
 8      The work required of school health aides, such as providing
 
 9 first aid and emergency care, preventive health care, and record
 
10 keeping, cannot be completed in the time that their compensation
 
11 is currently based on.  Many health aides work beyond the six and
 
12 one-half hour workday without compensation.
 
13      The purpose of this Act is to improve the safety and health
 
14 of Hawaii's students by initiating a pilot project to expand the
 
15 workday of school health aides from six and one-half hours to
 
16 eight hours per day at twelve, large, secondary public schools
 
17 statewide.
 
18      SECTION 2.  There is established within the department of
 
19 health the school health services pilot project.  The purpose of
 

 
Page 2                                                     319
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 this pilot project is to expand the workday of health aides from
 
 2 six and one-half to eight hours per day at twelve, large,
 
 3 secondary public schools throughout the State.  The department of
 
 4 health shall select twelve public schools, on the islands of
 
 5 Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii.  The schools should be large,
 
 6 public middle or high schools with enrollments in excess of one
 
 7 thousand two hundred students.
 
 8      Notwithstanding section 321-245, Hawaii Revised Statutes,
 
 9 full-time school health aides participating in this pilot project
 
10 shall be employed by the department of health, subject to
 
11 chapters 76 and 77, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and compensated
 
12 based on an eight-hour day as follows:
 
13      (1)  The monthly rate of compensation for all school health
 
14           aides employed less than full-time shall be based on
 
15           the number of hours they actually work;
 
16      (2)  The monthly rate of compensation for full-time health
 
17           aides so determined shall be multiplied by ten and then
 
18           divided by twelve and the resulting amount shall be the
 
19           employee's monthly salary payable over a twelve-month
 
20           period; and
 
21      (3)  The health aides shall have the same working schedule
 
22           and leave allowance as school teachers in the
 
23           department of education.
 

 
Page 3                                                     319
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 2
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 3.  The school health services pilot project shall
 
 2 operate for two years.  The department of health shall report to
 
 3 the legislature on the progress, experience, and recommendations
 
 4 for the expansion, improvement, or discontinuance of the school
 
 5 health services pilot project as follows:
 
 6      (1)  A preliminary report shall be submitted no later than
 
 7           twenty days prior to the convening of the regular
 
 8           session of 2001; and
 
 9      (2)  A final report shall be submitted no later than twenty
 
10           days prior to the convening of the regular session of
 
11           2002.
 
12      SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
13 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $         or so much
 
14 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001 to fund the
 
15 school health services pilot project, including any expenses
 
16 incurred by the department of health in evaluating the project.
 
17 The department of health may include in its budget for the
 
18 following fiscal year such additional sums as may be necessary to
 
19 continue the project.
 
20      SECTION 5.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
21 department of health for the purposes of this Act.
 
22      SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.