STAND. COM. REP. NO. 292-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2746
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No.
2746 entitled:

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PEER
     EDUCATION PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate $520,595 to the
Department of Health in order to maintain existing peer education
programs in twenty-six schools, and to appropriate $625,250 to
establish peer education programs in ten additional schools.

     Your Committee finds that the Peer Education Program was
established in 1988 to address such serious adolescent health
problems as teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases,
substance abuse, violence, and suicide.  Presently, the
Department of Health maintains and operates broad-based,
systemic, adolescent health prevention programs in twenty-six
secondary schools.  The services provided by peer education
programs have become an essential component in the public school
system, and support the State's adolescent wellness plan,
"Laulima in Action."  Peer education programs can help
adolescents who are at-risk or in crisis, which in turn can
reduce their need for more intensive and expensive intervention
services later in life, by giving them the opportunity to learn

 
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how to prevent such health problems as teen pregnancy, sexually
transmitted diseases, substance abuse, violence, and suicide.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this bill
from the Department of Health; the Hawaii State Commission on the
Status of Women; the Hawaii State Teachers Association; the
American Cancer Society; the Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition;
the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii; peer
education coordinators; peer educators; teachers and other school
personnel; parents; and a large number of students.

     Your Committee would like to point out that the strongest
supporters of the Peer Education Program are its students and
former students.  It is both satisfying and reassuring to see
such an outpouring of support for the Peer Education Program from
the clients of the State's public school system -- the students.

     Your Committee encourages the Department of Health and the
Department of Education to continue with ongoing planning
sessions intended to integrate the Peer Education Program into
the Comprehensive Student Support System.

     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 H.B.
No. 2746 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on
Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair

 
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