STAND. COM. REP. NO. 551

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                 
                      , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 408
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

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

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL BUSES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require school bus drivers to
be provided with the necessary supplies in the handling of blood-
borne pathogens and to be properly trained in the handling of
potentially dangerous bodily fluids.

     Your Committee finds that school bus drivers must transport
hundreds of school children each day and run the risk of handling
a sick or injured child with direct exposure to blood borne
diseases such as AIDS or hepatitis.   Providing the school bus
driver with the necessary supplies such as rubber gloves and
clean up equipment will allow them to use the universal method
for clean up incidents that will reduce the likelihood of others
contracting any communicable diseases.

     Your Committee received supporting testimony from the
Superintendent of Education and Gomes School Bus Service.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your

 
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                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 551
                                 Page 2

 
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
408 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and 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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