STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1095-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2334

S.D. 2

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 Government Reform, to which was referred S.B. No. 2334, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Board of Education to include an open forum at the end of its public meeting agenda to afford all interested persons an opportunity to present oral testimony on any matter not on the agenda;

(2) Require the Board of Education to hold no less than six community forums annually, with at least one community forum to be held in each county;

(3) Make Board of Education members' attendance at the community forums permitted interactions under certain circumstances; and

(4) Require the Board of Education to report to the Legislature on the implementation of the open forum requirement.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Information Practices. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Education.

Your Committee finds that community forums held by the Board of Education improve the public's access to the Board and allow the public to provide the Board with more information to help with decision-making and setting priorities. Your Committee further finds that greater access to the Board of Education from communities in each county across the State through community forums will allow the Board to hear from more community stakeholders.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing language which requires the Chairperson of the Board of Education to designate less than a quorum of board members to attend a community forum;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 Government Reform that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2334, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2334, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Reform,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair