STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1636
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2023
RE: S.B. No. 106
S.D. 2
H.D. 2
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2023
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 106, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, 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 on COVID-19 potential outbreaks or other public health emergencies 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 finds that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the operations of schools and required the establishment of additional processes and procedures to ensure the safety of children and prevent them from getting or spreading COVID-19. Your Committee further finds that pursuant to Act 4, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, the Department of Education is required to publish a report weekly on schools that have a student, staff member, or affiliated individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. Your Committee notes that, due to the widespread availability of COVID‑19 vaccines and other prevention and mitigation efforts, the weekly COVID-19 reporting requirement may no longer be necessary. Your Committee believes that giving the Department of Health discretion in requiring the Department of Education to report on COVID-19 potential outbreaks and other public health emergencies will ensure that the State can respond to health emergencies in schools while reducing the administrative workload of the Department of Education.
Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to June 30, 3000.
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. 106, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 106, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,
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____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair |
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