SB670 HD1

Report Title:

Hawaii State Student Council; Established

 

Description:

Establishes the Hawaii state student council, with 23 student representatives. Requires the council to conduct an annual conference of secondary students. (SB670 HD1)

 

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	670
TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE STUDENT COUNCIL.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the Hawaii state student council has been functioning for many years. However, although the council is mentioned in the State Constitution, it has never been formally established in statute. In establishing the council statutorily, this Act continues the operations of the existing council and determines the council's composition. Additionally, this Act requires the council to conduct an annual conference of secondary students, and outlines the types of issues that are to be addressed in the conference.

The legislature further finds that the secondary student conference was initiated through Act 94, Session Laws of Hawaii 1970. However, when laws relating to education were recodified into chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, in 1996, chapter 317, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which relates to the secondary student conference, was overlooked. Accordingly, this Act repeals chapter 317, and incorporates the provisions of the secondary student conference with the establishment of the state student council.

SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A-   Hawaii state student council. (a) There is established within the department for administrative purposes the Hawaii state student council, which shall consist of twenty-three student representatives from the various departmental school districts and the student member of the board.

(b) The council shall select the student member of the board and shall determine the process by which the student member is selected.

(c) The council shall establish policies and procedures geverning its operations, including but not limited to the selection of its members without regard to the public notice, public hearing, and gubernatorial approval requirements of chapter 91, but subject to the open meeting requirements of chapter 92.

(d) The council shall conduct an annual conference of secondary school students, which will enable students in Hawaii's secondary schools to identify, discuss, and arrive at recommended solutions to major youth problems, with an emphasis on school problems that require the attention of and joint action by the students, the department, the board, and the legislature. Alternately, the topic may be statewide student governance.

(e) The format of the annual student conference shall be a statewide meeting or an array of district meetings, as determined by the council.

(f) The annual student conference shall be held once each school year and shall not exceed three consecutive days. Whenever possible, the annual student conference shall be held within sixty days of the convening of a regular session of the legislature.

(g) The council may invite students from schools represented by the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools to participate in the planning of or to attend the annual student conference.

(h) The evaluation of the annual student conference, for which the council shall be responsible, shall include a description of conference proceedings and recommendations for action by the students, the department, the board, or the legislature. The department shall transmit copies of the evaluation to the governor, the legislature, and the board no later than sixty days after the conclusion of the conference.

SECTION 3. Chapter 317, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2002.