Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 127 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee heard testimony in support of the measure from the Department of Education, Department of Health, Hawaii Congress of Parents, Teachers and Students, and numerous members of high school student government. Technical comments were provided by the American Cancer Society.

Your Committee finds that bathrooms that are clean, sanitary, and well stocked are critical to the health, morale, and educational success of students. This issue has been one of prime importance to student government. In fact, the 2000 Hawaii Student Government State Conference passed a resolution mandating that all restrooms be well equipped and sanitary.

Your Committee finds that ongoing vandalism is a serious impediment to providing restrooms that are well equipped and sanitary. For instance, permanent fixtures like bathroom stall doors, and soap, toilet paper and hand towel dispensers are often destroyed. Disposable supplies such as toilet paper and hand towels are often misused or ruined. After limited custodial budgets are expended, it is often some time before many of these necessary items are replaced. This can heighten the sense of disenfranchisement and frustration among students, and in turn contribute to further vandalism. An effective way to break this negative cycle may be to foster a greater sense of student involvement in the solution of this issue.

Your Committee has amended the measure to foster a greater sense of student involvement by requesting that the Board of Education direct the superintendent of education to enforce the rules of school health and safety. School principals must assist student councils in establishing a cooperative effort with custodial staff to monitor and inspect school bathrooms, notify custodial staff when supplies need replenishing, and report waste and abuse. Your Committee has also deleted all references to specific communicable diseases.

Your Committee believes these efforts will succeed only if carefully monitored and urges the Department of Education to determine the effectiveness of such student volunteerism and investigate the potential value of student stipends for participation in maintenance.

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 S.B. No. 127, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 127, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.