STAND. COM. REP. NO.  450-20

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2020

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2426

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2426 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ATHLETICS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Department of Education and athletic leagues and associations to allow charter school students wishing to participate in a sport for which there is no program at the charter school or Department school in the service area where the student resides to participate in a comparable Department school sports program in a Department school in an adjacent service area at no additional cost to the student; and

 

     (2)  Specify that charter school students shall be represented by the department school for athletic league or association business.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Academy of Arts & Science Public Charter School, Kapolei Charter School, Governing Board of the West Hawaii Explorations Academy, West Hawaii Explorations Academy, Kawaikini New Century Public Charter School, Innovations Public Charter School, Ke Kula o Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School, and fifteen individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, and Connections Public Charter School.

 

     Your Committee finds that athletics plays a huge part in a student's educational life and may lead to scholarships to attend institutions of higher education.  Your Committee further finds that charter schools provide Hawaii's youth with many different options for education, but may not provide the athletic opportunities that the state public schools have.  This measure gives charter school students who are unable to participate in a sport in their charter school the opportunity to participate in that sport through a state public school.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2050.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2426, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2426, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair