STAND. COM. REP. NO. 4070

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 51

H.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.C.R. No. 51, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PRIORITIZE FUNDING FOR AIR CONDITIONING IN SCHOOLS ON HAWAII ISLAND THAT ARE REGULARLY AFFECTED BY VOG,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Education to prioritize funding for air conditioning in schools on Hawaii island that are regularly affected by volcanic smog (vog).

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education and one individual.

Your Committee finds that vog, a naturally occurring form of air pollution from volcanic emissions, can pose significant health risks. Vog can affect all residents of the State, but acutely impacts Hawaii island residents, where prevailing wind patterns typically push vog emissions westward, accumulating over North and South Kona and Ka‘u. Children in these areas are generally more sensitive to vog than adults because children have higher respiratory rates than adults, meaning they take more breaths per minute.

Your Committee further finds that the installation of air conditioning units in Hawaii island classrooms will create safer and more effective learning environments that better protect students from vog. Accordingly, this measure promotes the health and well-being of the students who are most often affected by vog by requesting the Department of Education to prioritize funding for classroom air conditioning for those students.

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 H.C.R. No. 51, H.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair