CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 138

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 388

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 388, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Evaluate and assess certain vulnerable children and children exhibiting emergent or persistent behavioral issues;

(2) Assess suspended students at the request of the student's parent or guardian to identify factors contributing to the student's suspension and provide services to the student for any social disorder, emotional disorder, or learning difference; and

(3) Establish a task force to create a system for evaluating and assessing all children and those who are exhibiting emergent or persistent behaviors, academic challenges, or chronic absenteeism and are in need of appropriate supports and interventions accessible within the continuum of a multi-tiered system of supports.

Your Committee on Conference finds that vulnerable children often experience a range of traumatic and toxic stress, resulting in harm to the child's brain development and physical, social, mental, emotional, and behavioral health and well-being. Therefore, early intervention and evaluation of at-risk youth can diagnose a multitude of social and emotional disorders, which can then be used to help determine appropriate mental health and educational services.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have required the Department of Education to:

(A) Evaluate and assess certain vulnerable children and children exhibiting emergent or persistent behavioral issues; and

(B) Assess suspended students at the request of the student's parent or guardian to identify factors contributing to the student's suspension and provide services to the student for any social disorder, emotional disorder, or learning difference;

(2) Amending the membership and composition of the task force;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2019; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 388, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 388, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON Co-Chair	____________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI Chair
____________________________ CHRIS LEE Co-Chair	____________________________ DRU KANUHA Co-Chair
____________________________ TY J.K. CULLEN Co-Chair