STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1138-26
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2026
RE: H.B. No. 2621
H.D. 2
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2026
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2621, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STUDENT MISCONDUCT,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Require public schools to report incidents of physical violence to the Department of Education; and
(2) Require the Department to collect and maintain related data and make the data publicly available.
Your Committee finds that physical violence among students compromises school safety, undermines learning environments, and erodes community confidence in public education. Your Committee further finds that the absence of uniform reporting procedures and lack of consistent data aggregation practices statewide prevents the Department of Education from accurately assessing trends, allocating resources, and developing effective prevention strategies. Your Committee believes that establishing clear reporting requirements and a comprehensive data framework will support more informed decision making and strengthen efforts to keep students safe.
Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying the definitions for "fighting", "victim", and "witness" to reference physical violence.
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. 2621, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2621, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,
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____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair |
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