STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3302

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1837

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 1837, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL SAFETY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Education to grant public access to emergency action plans that do not pose a security risk to students, staff, or guests of school campuses;

(2) Require each Department of Education school to have a comprehensive school evacuation communication plan for use during emergencies;

(3) Require the Department of Education to collaborate with the Department of Transportation to assess all Department school campuses to determine if there are sufficient emergency evacuation routes for each campus and report to the Legislature; and

(4) Appropriate funds.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Special Education Advisory Council, one member of the Maui County Council, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, Education Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Education, Department of the Attorney General, Office of Language Access, and Disability and Communication Access Board.

Your Committees find that establishing emergency preparedness plans for Hawaii's public schools will provide students, staff, and members of the community with safe and accessible evacuation routes during unforeseen emergencies or disasters. The August 2023 Maui wildfires have additionally demonstrated a need to ensure all schools have multiple safe evacuation routes that are accessible for all users. Further, appropriate communication plans to address the unique needs of each community will provide cultural awareness and responsiveness during emergency situations. Therefore, this measure ensures school safety and emergency preparedness for all members of the State's public school communities.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have authorized public access to the emergency action plans;

(2) Clarifying that parents and guardians shall contact and provide schools with updated contact information throughout the school year as needed; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Transportation and Culture and the Arts that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1837, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1837, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair