STAND. COM. REP. NO. 29-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1697

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1697 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure to:

(1) Require the Department of Education to provide comprehensive training for teachers and educational officers on certain sexual health topics to destigmatize and promote sexual health; and

(2) Require sexual health education programs to include similar sexual health topics to destigmatize and promote sexual health.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health; Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Hawaii Youth Services Network; American Academy of Pediatrics, Hawaii Chapter; Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates; Pono Hawai‘i Initiative; Pacific Survivor Center; Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks; Assets High School Gay Straight Alliance; Ilima Intermediate School Gay Straight Alliance; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Federation of Republican Women and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the National Association of School Psychologists.

Your Committee finds that existing sexual education standards within secondary schools in Hawaii are not providing students with the necessary knowledge and tools to make responsible, informed, and empowered choices about their sexuality, gender, relationships, and sexual and reproductive health. The current emphasis on abstinence and problem-focused language offered in Hawaii schools can add to the ongoing stigmatization of sexual health topics. Your Committee further finds that a broader, more comprehensive sex education program that covers forms of sexual expression, healthy sexual and non-sexual relationships, diverse identities across gender and culture, sexual orientation, and consent should be provided to secondary school students to ensure students feel safe and empowered to learn, ask questions, and make positive choices for themselves.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Including disability communities in the topics of sexual health that teachers and educational officers shall have comprehensive training on and to be included in sexual health programs;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; and

(3) 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 Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1697, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1697, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair