REPORT TITLE: 
Education


DESCRIPTION:
Establishes the Hawaii state student council, with student
representatives from each departmental school district; requires
the council to conduct an annual conference of secondary school
students; and requires the council to determine whether to
select the student member of the BOE or to run an election.
(HB284 HD1)

 
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                                                        284
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
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 the Hawaii state
 
 2 student council has been functioning for many years.  However,
 
 3 although the council is mentioned in the state constitution, it
 
 4 has never been formally established in statute.  In establishing
 
 5 the council statutorily, this Act continues the operations of the
 
 6 existing council and requires it to:
 
 7      (1)  Determine its composition and governance policies;
 
 8      (2)  Select or run an election for the student member of the
 
 9           board of education; and
 
10      (3)  Conduct an annual conference of secondary students.
 
11      SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
12 by adding two new sections to part II to be appropriately
 
13 designated and to read as follows:
 
14      "§302A-    Hawaii state student council.  (a)  There is
 
15 established within the department for administrative purposes the
 
16 Hawaii state student council, which shall consist of
 
17 representation from each departmental school district.
 
18      (b)  The council shall conduct an annual conference of
 
19 secondary school students pursuant to section 302A-  .
 

 
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 1      (c)  The council shall determine whether it shall directly
 
 2 select the student member of the board or whether it shall run an
 
 3 election to select that individual.
 
 4      (d)  The council shall establish policies and procedures
 
 5 governing its operations, including the selection and number of
 
 6 council members, without regard to the public notice, public
 
 7 hearing, and gubernatorial approval requirements of chapter 91,
 
 8 but subject to the open meeting requirements of chapter 92.
 
 9      (e)  The department shall assign a part-time or full-time
 
10 staff member to assist the council, to be known as staff adviser
 
11 to the Hawaii state student council.
 
12      §302A-    Annual student conference.  (a)  The Hawaii state
 
13 student council shall provide for an annual conference of
 
14 secondary school students, or those students in grades seven to
 
15 twelve, to enable them to identify, discuss, and arrive at
 
16 recommended solutions to major youth problems, with emphasis on
 
17 school problems that require the attention of and joint action by
 
18 the students, the department, the board, and the legislature.
 
19 Alternately, the conference topic may be the governance of the
 
20 council itself.
 
21      (b)  The format of the annual student conference shall be a
 
22 statewide meeting or an array of district meetings, as determined
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 by the Hawaii state student council.
 
 2      (c)  The annual student conference shall be held once each
 
 3 school year and shall not exceed three consecutive days.
 
 4 Whenever possible, the annual student conference shall be held
 
 5 within sixty days of the convening of a regular session of the
 
 6 legislature.
 
 7      (d)  The Hawaii state student council shall appoint a
 
 8 conference committee composed of at least one student from each
 
 9 departmental school district.  The Hawaii state student council
 
10 may also appoint students from schools represented by the Hawaii
 
11 Association of Independent Schools.
 
12      (e)  The Hawaii state student council, through the
 
13 conference committee, shall:
 
14      (1)  Plan and coordinate the annual student conference;
 
15      (2)  Determine the theme, scope, and format of the
 
16           conference;
 
17      (3)  Determine the agenda of the conference;
 
18      (4)  Determine the number of participants of the conference,
 
19           subject to the availability of funds;
 
20      (5)  Plan and provide for food, lodging, and transportation
 
21           for all participants of the conference;
 
22      (6)  Evaluate the conference; and
 

 
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 1      (7)  Consider and act on any matter relevant to or necessary
 
 2           to effectuate the purpose of this section.
 
 3      (f)  The department shall assign a part-time or full-time
 
 4 staff member to assist the conference committee, including
 
 5 assistance in the planning and implementation of the conference
 
 6 and the drafting of the evaluation report, to be known as staff
 
 7 adviser to the conference committee.
 
 8      (g)  The evaluation of the conference shall include a
 
 9 description of conference proceedings and recommendations for
 
10 action by the board, the department, or the legislature.  The
 
11 department shall transmit copies of the evaluation to the
 
12 governor, the legislature, and the board no later than sixty days
 
13 after the conclusion of the conference."
 
14      SECTION 3.  Chapter 317, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
15 repealed.
 
16      SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.
 
17      SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.
 

 
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