STAND. COM. REP. NO.1081
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: S.B. No. 957
S.D. 2
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 957, S.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to:
(1) Require the Department of Education (DOE), through its Comprehensive Student Support System (CSSS), to adopt best practices, disclose potential conflicts of interest as part of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process, and monitor services ordered through IEPs; and
(2) Establish a joint legislative taskforce to monitor, assess, and support DOE's implementation of this Act and meeting the goals of CSSS.
DOE and the Hawai'i Coalition for Health submitted testimony in opposition to this bill.
Your Committees understand that CSSS is DOE’s means for ensuring a continuum of support and services that provides a social, emotional, and physical environment that is conducive to learning. Your Committees further understand that this continuum begins in the inclusive classroom, with differentiated classroom practices as the base of support for each student and that this support extends beyond the classroom to include school and community resources, initiatives, and programs as well as appropriate services procured from private providers.
However, the Committees are also mindful of the concerns of both DOE and the Hawaii Coalition for Health. Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the substantive material of the bill and inserting language that:
(1) Requires the Board of Education (BOE) to determine the scope of services for CSSS and designate the school complexes that shall be identified for special needs designation and need additional CSSS programs and staffing;
(2) Requires elementary, middle, and high schools designated as special needs schools to be provided with CSSS positions;
(3) Expands the CSSS non-teaching positions, programs, and services list which shall be used by BOE;
(4) Requires BOE to develop a school-based health services feasibility plan which shall include the range of services of CSSS; and
(5) Makes the Act effective on July 1, 2001.
Other technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made for purposes of clarity and style.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 957, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 957, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health,
|
____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |
____________________________ KEN ITO, Chair |