STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2825

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2368

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2368, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

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

 

     Specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Requires the Department of Education to establish a sexual abuse prevention education program beginning with the 2019-2020 school year;

 

(2)  Requires the program to include age-appropriate curriculum, a minimum of one hour of instruction each school year, instruction on communicating sexual abuse, training for school personnel, and education for parents and guardians of students;

 

(3)  Authorizes the Department of Education to contract with an organization to carry out the program;

 

(4)  Requires the Board of Education to adopt policies for the program;

 

(5)  Requires the Department of Education to submit reports regarding the program; and

 

(6)  Appropriates funds for the program.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from YMCA Oahu; The Sex Abuse Treatment Center; Hawaii Youth Services Network; American Association of University Women, Hawaii; Parents and Children Together; Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hawaii State Teachers Association; Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii; YWCA Oahu Advocacy Committee; Safe Keiki Project; IMUAlliance; Save Medicaid Hawaii; Hawaii State Democratic Women's Caucus; and seven individuals.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

 

Your Committee finds that sexual abuse is a serious and ongoing threat to the safety, health, and well-being of children and young people in the State.  This measure establishes a program that will provide guidance to students, teachers, and school personnel regarding the protection of Hawaii's children against sexual abuse.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

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

 

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

 

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2368, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2368, S.D. 2.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair