STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2969

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 319
                                        H.D. 2
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Technology and Health and
Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 319, H.D. 2,
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to initiate a pilot project
that will extend the workday of school health aides from six and
one-half hours per day to eight hours at twelve large public
schools throughout the State.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from the
Department of Education and HGEA-AFSCME.  Testimony in opposition
to the measure was received from the Department of Health.

     Your Committees find that public schools and society have
changed since the school health services program was created as a
pilot project in 1970 and enacted as a permanent program in 1978.
Today, schools face a variety of problems such as substance
abuse, teen pregnancy, family violence, divorce, and gangs, that
were not as serious in the past.  Many of these problems are
initially handled by school health aides, who are statutorily
restricted to work only six and a half hours per day.  Given the
caseload and complexity of issues faced by health aides, these
hours are insufficient for them to complete their work.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2969
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     Your Committees agree that this measure will improve the
quality of health services rendered to students.  In order to
provide a more comprehensive school health program, your
Committees expanded the measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Health to provide a
          registered professional nurse to supervise the school
          health aides and work with each public school to
          integrate the health and/or medical needs of students
          with educational services; and

     (2)  Requiring health aides to be employed under conditions
          relating to hours of work, annual work schedule,
          vacation, sick leave allowance, personal and funeral
          leaves, compensation, and grievances as provided by
          law.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Education and Technology and Health and Human
Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in
accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 319, H.D. 2, as
amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the
form attached hereto as H.B. No. 319, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Education and
                                   Technology and Health and
                                   Human Services,



____________________________       ______________________________
SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair        DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 
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