REPORT TITLE:
Health; School Restrooms


DESCRIPTION:
Requires DOE to implement a 3-year semi-annual monitoring and
enforcement program to keep high school restrooms clean and
adequately stocked.  Requires DOE to report annually to the
legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the
regular sessions of 2001, 2002, and 2003.  Repealed 6/30/2003.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2038 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO EDUCATION.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that in two surveys taken
 
 2 in 1998 and 1999 among Hawaii secondary school students in all
 
 3 seven departmental districts and the Hawaii Association of
 
 4 Independent Schools, of the three thousand, two hundred fifty-
 
 5 five students responding:
 
 6      (1)  Ninety-two per cent indicated that their school
 
 7           restrooms were not:
 
 8           (A)  Clean;
 
 9           (B)  Adequately stocked with hand soap; and
 
10           (C)  Adequately stocked with paper towels;
 
11      (2)  Ninety per cent indicated that stall locks in their
 
12           school restrooms either did not work or did not exist;
 
13           and
 
14      (3)  Eighty-four per cent indicated that their school
 
15           restrooms were not adequately stocked with toilet
 
16           paper.
 
17 In addition, eighty-two of one hundred twenty-nine female
 
18 students responded that their school restrooms were not equipped
 
19 with feminine hygiene receptacles.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        


 1      Although the department of education has internal rules
 
 2 governing the cleanliness of school restrooms and keeping them
 
 3 well-supplied, there is obviously a need for better enforcement.
 
 4 The purpose of this Act is to ensure that secondary students in
 
 5 Hawaii schools are not forced to continue enduring unsafe and
 
 6 unsanitary conditions in their school restrooms.
 
 7      SECTION 2.  (a)  The department of education shall implement
 
 8 an informal three-year monitoring and enforcement program to
 
 9 ensure that high school students in the State are availed safe
 
10 and sanitary restroom facilities in their schools.
 
11      (b)  The department shall require the principal of each high
 
12 school in the State to report twice, by December 31 and April 30,
 
13 in each school year, on the satisfactory or unsatisfactory
 
14 enforcement of its internal rules with regard to:
 
15      (1)  Cleaning the school's restrooms;
 
16      (2)  Adequately stocking its restrooms with toilet paper,
 
17           paper towels, and hand soap;
 
18      (3)  Ensuring restroom stalls have working locks; and
 
19      (4)  Equipping restrooms with feminine hygiene disposal
 
20           receptacles.
 
21      (c)  The department of education shall report annually to
 
22 the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening
 
23 of the regular sessions of 2001, 2002, and 2003, on the status of
 

 
Page 3                                                     2038 
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        


 1 the three-year monitoring and enforcement program, which shall
 
 2 include an annual survey of high school students regarding the
 
 3 items in subsection (b).
 
 4      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval and
 
 5 shall be repealed on June 30, 2003.
 
 6 
 
 7                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________