STAND. COM. REP. NO.  435

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 819

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

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

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BULLYING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to protect youth in Hawaii from bullying by:

 

     (1)  Requiring all youth-serving agencies of the State, public schools, public charter schools, and entities or contractors of entities that receive state funding to adopt, maintain, monitor, and enforce anti-bullying policies and procedures;

 

     (2)  Prohibiting a public charter school from discriminating against a student or limiting admission to a student based on gender identity or expression; and

 

     (3)  Establishing a Bullying Prevention Task Force within the Department of Education.

 

     The Honolulu Police Department; Hawaii State Teachers Association; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Community Children's Council of Hawaii; Hawaii Women's Coalition; Hawaii State Democratic Women's Caucus; IMUAlliance; Honolulu Pride; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Equality Hawaii; Human Rights Campaign; Rainbow Family 808; and numerous concerned individuals supported the measure.  The State Council on Developmental Disabilities and Special Education Advisory Council supported the intent of the measure.  The Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, and American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended the measure by:

 

     (1)  Also requiring that all youth-serving agencies of the counties and all entities or contractors of entities that receive county funding to adopt, maintain, monitor, and enforce anti-bullying policies and procedures;

 

     (2)  Deleting all references to age in the definition of "youth";

 

     (3)  Requiring that all annual bullying prevention programs for youth--not only the ones in public schools--must align with established health education standards;

 

     (4)  Adding an unspecified appropriation for resources and staff support for the Bullying Prevention Task Force; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, 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. 819, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 819, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair