STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3616

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 144

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.R. No. 144 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OR REGISTERED GUARD AT EACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND STATE PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Education to provide a school resource officer or registered guard at each elementary school and state prekindergarten program.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Youth Services Network and a private individual.

Your Committee finds that due to the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and the limited timeframe being faced by the Legislature to act in response, measures are necessary to provide the Senate with the ability to gather relevant information from the Governor and the executive agencies. These measures further urge that actions be taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its contents with language that requests the Department of Education to develop a strategy to implement a reopening plan for the upcoming school year based on guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Your Committee requests the plan be submitted to the Legislature no later than June 1, 2020.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 144, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 144, S.D. 1.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair