REPORT TITLE:
Education


DESCRIPTION:
Establishes the Hawaii state student council, with student
representatives from each departmental school district; requires
the council to conduct an annual conference of secondary
students; and requires the council to determine whether to select
the student member of the BOE or to run an election to select the
individual.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           2391
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE STUDENT COUNCIL. 


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the Hawaii state
 
 2 student council has been functioning for many years.  However,
 
 3 although the council is mentioned in the state constitution, it
 
 4 has never been formally established in statute.  In establishing
 
 5 the council statutorily, this Act continues the operations of the
 
 6 existing council and requires it to:
 
 7      (1)  Determine its composition and governance policies;
 
 8      (2)  Select or run an election for the student member of the
 
 9           board of education; and
 
10      (3)  Conduct an annual conference of secondary students.
 
11      SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
12 by adding two new sections to part II to be appropriately
 
13 designated and to read as follows:
 
14      "�302A-    Hawaii state student council.  (a)  There is
 
15 established within the department for administrative purposes the
 
16 Hawaii state student council, which shall consist of
 
17 representation from each departmental school district.
 
18      (b)  The council shall conduct an annual conference of
 
19 secondary school students pursuant to section 302A-  .
 

 
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 1      (c)  The council shall determine whether it will directly
 
 2 select the student member of the board or whether it will run an
 
 3 election to select that individual.
 
 4      (d)  The council shall establish policies and procedures
 
 5 governing its operations, including the selection and number of
 
 6 council members, subject to the open meeting requirements of
 
 7 chapter 92.
 
 8      �302A-    Annual student conference.  (a)  The Hawaii state
 
 9 student council shall provide for an annual conference of
 
10 secondary school students, or those in grades seven to twelve, to
 
11 enable them to identify, discuss, and arrive at recommended
 
12 solutions to major youth problems, with emphasis on school
 
13 problems that require the attention of and joint action by the
 
14 students, the department, the board, and the legislature.
 
15 Alternately, the conference topic may be the governance of the
 
16 council itself.
 
17      (b)  The format of the annual student conference shall be a
 
18 statewide meeting or an array of district meetings, as determined
 
19 by the Hawaii state student council.
 
20      (c)  The annual student conference shall be held once each
 
21 school year and shall not exceed three consecutive days.
 
22 Whenever possible, the annual student conference shall be held
 
23 within sixty days of the convening of a regular session of the
 

 
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 1 legislature.
 
 2      (d)  The Hawaii state student council shall appoint a
 
 3 conference committee composed of at least one student from each
 
 4 departmental school district.  The Hawaii state student council
 
 5 may also appoint students from schools represented by the Hawaii
 
 6 Association of Independent Schools.
 
 7      (e)  The Hawaii state student council, through the
 
 8 conference committee, shall:
 
 9      (1)  Plan and coordinate the annual student conference;
 
10      (2)  Determine the theme, scope, and format of the
 
11           conference;
 
12      (3)  Determine the agenda of the conference;
 
13      (4)  Determine the number of participants of the conference,
 
14           subject to the availability of funds;
 
15      (5)  Plan and provide for food, lodging, and transportation
 
16           for all participants of the conference;
 
17      (6)  Evaluate the conference; and
 
18      (7)  Consider and act on any matter relevant to or necessary
 
19           to effectuate the purpose of this section.
 
20      (f)  The evaluation of the conference shall include a
 
21 description of conference proceedings and recommendations for
 
22 action by the board, the department, or the legislature.  The
 
23 department shall transmit copies of the evaluation to the
 

 
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 1 governor, the legislature, and the board no later than sixty days
 
 2 after the conclusion of the conference."
 
 3      SECTION 3.  Chapter 317, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 4 repealed.
 
 5      SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
 6      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.
 
 7 
 
 8                       INTRODUCED BY:  ___________________________