STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2364

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2348

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2348 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BULLYING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for selected public middle school teachers to attend an evidence-informed or evidence-based and culturally relevant bullying intervention training session and for those selected public middle school teachers to provide training on bullying intervention to other public school employees in their respective schools.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter Schools Commission, Hawaii Youth Services Network, AAUW of Hawaii, Hawaii Women's Coalition, and three private individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and a private individual.

Your Committee finds that bullying is a serious problem for the students in Hawaii, especially for middle school students. Your Committee further finds that utilizing a train-to-trainer model could be a practical and cost-effective means of addressing this pressing issue.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that teachers and employees of public charter schools will be included in this program;

(2) Clarifying that the Superintendent of Education shall coordinate with the Executive Director of the State Public Charter School Commission on training dates and times; and

(3) Noting that training for teachers shall be held during regular working hours or teachers must be appropriately compensated for their time.

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 S.B. No. 2348, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2348, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair