STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3224

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2248

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2248, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the definition of "private schools" under the compulsory attendance law to require unlicensed but accredited private schools to annually submit health and safety documentation to the Hawaii Council of Private Schools or the Hawaii Catholic Schools office, as appropriate.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.

Your Committee finds that, to maintain state licensure, Hawaii schools are required to annually submit health and safety compliance verification as required by various state and county agencies. Your Committee further finds, however, that schools that are accredited but not licensed are not presently subject to this annual requirement. This accredited-but-not-licensed status results in health and safety compliance verification occurring only during reaccreditation visits every five to ten years. As noted in testimony, this method of verifying health and safety compliance is inconsistent, at best, and could be described as a "loophole". Accordingly, this measure will close that loophole and help ensure that private schools follow best practices regarding student health and safety by establishing a uniform annual health and safety compliance verification requirement for schools in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2051, to encourage further discussion.

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. 2248, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2248, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair