STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2317

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2042
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education and Technology, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2042 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL RECORDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide protection from
suit to any school that discloses school records regarding a
student's dangerous conduct affecting others.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from the
Department of Education, HSTA, Hawaii Association of Independent
Schools, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that school safety is crucial.  Schools
face the delicate task of balancing actions for school safety
with the legal right to an education possessed by all students.
Currently, public and private schools are often reluctant to
share information about potentially dangerous students with the
student's new school due to fear of a lawsuit.  Additionally,
school officials do not have access to student information that
would help them address students with academic and personal
problems.  This measure will assist schools in communicating
freely about potentially dangerous students and in taking action
to assure school safety.

     The measure was amended to provide absolute immunity from
liability and lawsuits for both the schools and school officials.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2317
                                   Page 2


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education and Technology that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2042, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2042,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 
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