STAND. COM. REP. NO. 440-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2087
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No.
2087 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JUVENILES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to promote school safety and
provide for the rehabilitation of minors who have juvenile court
records, by:

     (1)  Allowing limited accessibility to juvenile records to:

          (A)  School officials; and 

          (B)  Persons involved in the treatment and supervision
               of minors in the areas of child abuse and law
               enforcement;

          and

     (2)  Requiring the Family Court to inform the minor's school
          district superintendent that the minor has been found
          to have committed certain felonies or misdemeanors, and
          allowing the information to be disclosed to teachers or
          administrators responsible for direct supervision or
          monitoring of the minor.

 
 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 440-00
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, Department of the
Prosecuting Attorney City & County of Honolulu, Windward Oahu
District Superintendent, the Vice-principals of Kailua High
School and Kahuku Intermediate and High School, and Principals of
Kailua Intermediate School and Ka'a'awa Elementary School.  The
Superintendent of Education supported the intent of this bill.
The Judiciary and the Office of Youth Services provided comments.

     Your Committee finds that the schools are responsible for
the large portion, if not the majority of the supervision and
guidance that a person receives during the person's minority, and
that access to information about a minor's criminal history and
of other problems that require judicial intervention is essential
if the schools are to adequately perform their responsibilities
and provide for a safe learning environment.  Your Committee
believes that this measure places a proper emphasis on both
safety concerns and rehabilitation, and includes appropriate
requirements for expungement of the minor's records when school
or court jurisdiction over the minor ceases, or the minor reaches
the age of 18.

     Your Committee finds that the need for access to the
information provided under this bill is not limited to the public
schools, and has thus amended this measure to provide that access
and notice under the bill is also provided to an administrator
appointed by each private school that is a member of the Hawaii
Association of Independent Schools.

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments have also been made for
purposes of clarity and style.

     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.
2087, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2087, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair