STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1231-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   S.B. No. 2232

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2232, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to help prevent child sexual abuse by forming the Erin's Law Task Force (Task Force) to guide the establishment of a program to educate public school students on sexual abuse prevention through use of age-appropriate curricula; provide relevant training to school teachers and staff; and inform parents about important child sexual abuse topics.  More specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Requires the Task Force to review current policies, programs, and curricula for educating public school students about sexual abuse prevention and make recommendations for the establishment of the program;

 

     (2)  Requires the Department of Education to implement the recommendations of the Task Force in the 2017-2018 school year or to notify the chairs of the Senate and House of Representatives standing committees with primary jurisdiction over education and human services if the Department is unable to do so; and

 

     (3)  Appropriates funds for the operations of the Task Force.

 

     The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawaii Children's Action Network, Sex Abuse Treatment Center, IMUAlliance, Hawaii Women's Coalition, and American Association of University Women – Hawaii supported this measure.  The Hawaii State Teachers Association and UNITE supported the measure with amendments.  The Department of Education and Executive Office on Early Learning supported the intent of the measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Adding a teacher, to be designated by the Superintendent of Education, as a member of the Task Force;

 

     (2)  Specifying that the program must also provide strategies to identify victims of sex trafficking in public schools and to assist in the prevention of the sex trafficking of children; and

 

     (3)  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 S.B. No. 2232, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2232, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair