STAND. COM. REP. NO 936

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    H.B. No. 819

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 819, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BULLYING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require all youth-serving agencies, public schools, and public charter schools that receive state or county funding to adopt, maintain, monitor, and enforce policies and procedures related to all forms of bullying and cyberbullying to protect youth in the State.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission; State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Hawaii Civil Rights Commission; University of Hawaii at Manoa LGBT Student Services Office; Honolulu Police Department; Hawaii State Teachers Association; Human Rights Campaign; Special Education Advisory Council; Democratic Party of Hawaii Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus; Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network Hawaii; IMUAlliance; Democratic Party of Hawaii; Equality Hawaii; and six individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education, Department of Human Services, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure is an important step toward bolstering youth safety by clearly defining bullying across all youth-serving agencies.  Anti-bullying policies will help adults and children better identify bullying and understand how to intervene.  Before children can focus on learning, they must feel safe and free from intimidation and threats of violence or humiliation.  Bullying not only impedes learning, but is also a leading cause of youth suicide.  This measure will work to identify bullying and empower youth and adults to end it.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that each agency and grantee shall adopt a bullying prevention policy to be enforced through electronic communication to the extent that the communication is directed at a youth and meets the definition of "bullying"; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     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. 819, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 819, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair