STAND. COM. REP. NO. 117

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 105

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 105 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to change the Department of Education's requirement to report on autism spectrum disorder from a quarterly to an annual report.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education. Your Committee received in opposition of this measure from the Hawaii Disability Rights Center.

Your Committee finds that Act 205, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, mandates that the Department of Education submit quarterly reports that include, among other things, the number of students with autism spectrum disorder, staffing requirements, and Medicaid reimbursement schedules and amounts. However, the quarterly report offers few changes reflected between each period. Changing the reporting requirement to an annual report would provide a more equitable balance between the benefit of the informational report and the associated administrative workload.

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 S.B. No. 105 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair