STAND. COM. REP. NO. 627-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1650

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1650, H.D. 1, 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 require the Board of Education to invite:

(1) The exclusive representative for bargaining unit (5) to appoint a nonvoting public school teacher representative to the Board; and

(2) The exclusive representative for bargaining unit (6) to appoint a nonvoting public school administrator to the Board.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association and Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Collective Bargaining.

Your Committee finds that the Board of Education already invites a student representative and a military representative to the Board as nonvoting members. The student representative and military representative are not voting members of the Board, but they may engage in discussion and deliberation at general business meetings, special meetings, and standing committee meetings. The student representative and military representative do not have other rights or privileges, including the right to make motions, nor can they be counted for quorum purposes or be entitled to be present in executive sessions of the Board unless necessary for the purpose of the executive session. Your Committee believes that adding a current public school teacher and public school administrator as nonvoting members to the Board will provide additional insight from public school employees who directly interact with students and parents and help the Board make better informed decisions.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1650, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair