STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1406

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 106

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 106, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Health to require the Department of Education to report COVID-19 potential outbreaks and other related information in a manner most appropriate to public health and safety, as determined by the Department of Health; and

(2) Repeal the requirement that the report be published on a weekly basis on the Department of Education's website.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Education, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from seventeen individuals.

Your Committee finds that because the widespread availability of the COVID-19 vaccine and other mitigation strategies have proven effective in controlling the spread of COVID-19 in schools, it would be more administratively efficient for the Department of Health to exercise discretion in the requirement for the Department of Education to report weekly COVID-19 information.

Your Committee has amended this measure by specifying that the Department of Health may require the Department of Education to report on other public health emergencies, in addition to COVID-19 potential outbreaks.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 106, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 106, 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 Health & Homelessness,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair