STAND. COM. REP. NO. 343________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 933
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No.
933 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ATHLETIC HEALTH CARE
     SPECIALISTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to convert 15 temporary athletic
health care specialist positions in the Department of Education
(DOE) to permanent positions.

     Testimony in support of the bill was received from DOE, the
Hawaii State Teachers Association, and the Hawaii Medical
Association.  The Athletic Directors and Coaches Association
testified that they supported the conversion of 40 athletic
trainers to permanent positions.

     Your Committee finds that athletic health care trainers
provide on-site health care services to their school, reducing
the need for and costs of seeking treatment from private sector
health care providers.  However, many potential applicants choose
not to apply because of the temporary status of the position.  In
addition, some of DOE's best athletic trainers are leaving the
high schools for positions elsewhere, most often citing the
temporary status of the DOE positions as a reason.

     Your Committee finds that conversion of temporary athletic
health care specialist positions to permanent status will help
DOE recruit and retain qualified applicants by providing

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 343________
                                 Page 2

 
employment security and needed stability for continued program
development.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill
to provide for the conversion of 40, instead of 15, permanent
athletic health care specialist positions.

     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 H.B. No.
933, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 933, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Education,



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair