STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1566

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 930

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 930, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve child sexual abuse prevention education in the State.

 

     Specifically, the measure:

 

(1)  Creates an Erin's Law task force to review policies, programs, and curricula for educating public school students about sexual abuse and sex trafficking prevention, and report recommendations for the establishment of a program to educate public school students on sexual abuse prevention through age appropriate curricula; and

 

(2)  Appropriates funds to support the task force.

 

     Your Committees received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Hawaii State Teachers Association, IMUAlliance, Hawaii Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs, Parents and Children Together, and four individuals.

 

     The Department of Education submitted written comments on the measure.

 

     Your Committees find that sexual abuse is a serious and ongoing threat to children and young people in the State, and that a consistent, systemwide approach to preventive education and training is needed.  Thus, your Committees find that a task force is needed to oversee the establishment of a program that educates public school students, teachers, and parents on sexual abuse prevention and related topics.

 

Your Committees note that the Department of Education estimates that an appropriation of $75,000 in each of fiscal years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 will be necessary to support the operations of the task force.  In addition, your Committees request that the following concerns be addressed if the measure is considered during Conference:

 

(1)  Whether the August 11, 2017, deadline for convening the task force should be changed, given the role of the Superintendent of Education, or the Superintendent's designee, as the task force's chairperson and the Department of Education's upcoming leadership changes;

 

     (2)  Whether the task force should be convened by the

Department of Education rather than the Legislature, given that the primary responsibility for conducting the activities of the task force will rest with the Superintendent and the Department and that the measure's appropriation is to be expended by the Department; and

 

(3)  Whether the task force's nonprofit after school provider member should be designated by the Superintendent, as proposed by the Department of Education, instead of by the Hawaii Youth Services Network.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Expanding the reference to "Title IX" as "Public Law 92-318, Title IX of the federal Education Amendments of 1972, as amended"; and

 

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 930, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 930, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Labor,

 

________________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair