STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2996

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2181

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2181, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOLS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require certain unlicensed but accredited private schools to annually submit health and safety documentation to fall within the definition of "private schools" pursuant to section 302A-1132, Hawaii Revised Statutes, regarding compulsory attendance.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools.

Your Committees find that the Legislature passed Act 227 (2019), which defines a private school to be an education institution that teaches kindergarten through grade twelve and that is licensed or accredited by certain licensing or accrediting organizations, in order to assure parents who send their child to a private school that the school meets certain standards and criteria in providing a safe learning environment. Your Committees further find that the Hawaii Council of Private Schools (HCPS) is the licensing entity that ensures that all of Hawaii's private and parochial schools are healthy, safe, and sustainable institutions of learning for faculty, staff, and students. According to testimony received by your Committee, although all HCPS-licensed schools are required to submit annual verifications of the health and safety information documents required by various state and county agencies, the health and safety documents of private schools that are accredited by one or more national accrediting agencies recognized by the HCPS are only verified by reaccreditation visiting teams every five to ten years. This measure will ensure that all private schools in Hawaii are in full compliance with the health and safety standards of the State by requiring that they submit health and safety documentation on an annual basis.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2181, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair