STAND. COM. REP. NO.  586

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   H.B. No. 225

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 225, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BULLYING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Board of Education to develop a bullying prevention and response action plan;

 

     (2)  Require the Board of Education, or the Department of Education as the Board's designee, to submit an annual report to the Legislature on the action plan and reported incidents of alleged bullying and harassment; and

 

     (3)  Repeal Act 214, Session Laws of Hawaii 2011, which required the Board of Education to monitor the Department of Education for compliance with any administrative rules or statutes governing bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu County Republican Party, Hawaii Youth Services Network, The Trevor Project, Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women, and six individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Education and Department of Education.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Board of Education and Department of Education recognize that bullying is a severe issue.  This measure will help the Board and Department in responding to and preventing bullying in public schools.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 3021, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 225, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 225, H.D. 2.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair