STAND. COM. REP. NO. 385

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1295

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1295 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to safeguard the health of students and faculty at all Department of Education (DOE) schools by minimizing the risk of asbestos exposure. Among other things, this bill requires DOE to:

(1) Ensure that asbestos testing is conducted prior to any exterior or interior renovations or painting of school facilities, except at charter schools;

(2) Track students who may have been exposed to asbestos during the renovation and painting project at King Intermediate in December 2004; and

(3) Test all tracked students for asbestos-related diseases every five years.

Two concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. DOE supported the intent of this measure.

 

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Deleting the requirement that DOE track all students who may have been exposed to dust containing asbestos during the renovation and painting project that was conducted at King Intermediate in December 2004;

(2) Deleting the requirement that DOE test these students for asbestos-related diseases every five years;

(3) Requiring DOE to, instead, maintain records of these students; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 1295, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1295, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair