STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2340

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2271

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2271 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SAFETY EQUIPMENT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require Department of Education school football programs to ensure that each non-new football helmet used in a football program is reconditioned and recertified at least once every two years;

 

     (2)  Establish fines and other penalties for failure to properly recertify football helmets; and

 

     (3)  Establish the football helmet recertification special fund.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from a private individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and Department of Budget and Finance.

 

     Your Committee finds that the increasing frequency and severity of concussions in school athletics has become a matter of pressing public concern.  One means of managing these risks is to ensure the proper maintenance of football helmets and other athletic safety equipment, whether provided by the school or privately purchased by parents and others.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the requirement that referees determine whether helmets have been properly recertified;

 

     (2)  Deleting the imposition of fines for violations of the provisions of this measure;

 

     (3)  Deleting language establishing the Football Helmet Recertification Special Fund;

 

     (4)  Inserting language placing the responsibility for the recertification of privately purchased helmets and other athletic equipment used by students with the Department of Education; and

 

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

 

     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. 2271, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2271, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair