STAND. COM. REP. NO. 236

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 691

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 691 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Education to provide suitable transportation to and from school and for educational field trips for all children in grades kindergarten to twelve and in special education classes.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the Hawaii School Bus Association.  Comments on the measure were also submitted by the Department of Education (DOE).

     Your Committee finds that part of providing a proper education to public school students throughout the State includes the provision of safe and reliable transportation to and from school and for educational excursions.  Currently, the DOE provides transportation services to students living outside of Honolulu proper, with some exceptions, and those living beyond a mile away from school.  Many other students may not require transportation services because they live in areas that are serviced by the City and County of Honolulu bus system, are attending schools under a geographic exemption, or do not proceed directly home after school.  Your Committee understands that to require the DOE to provide transportation services to all public school students could be a costly endeavor and a huge undertaking.  Your Committee is most concerned with ensuring that the current level of transportation services provided to students is not diminished, or, if necessary, that such changes are not executed without input from interested parties, including parents.  The establishment of a process to allow stakeholders to participate in changes to current policies and procedures will help to ensure that the transportation needs of the students are being met.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing language mandating the DOE to provide transportation to and from school and for educational field trips for all children in grades kindergarten to twelve and in special education classes;

     (2)  Including the requirement that the DOE establish a process for allowing stakeholder participation when contemplating changes to the DOE's current policies, procedures, and programs regarding transportation services for students;

     (3)  Changing the effective date of the Act to July 1, 2008, to provide the DOE time to establish new procedures for implementation of the Act; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity 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 S.B. No. 691, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 691, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair