STAND. COM. REP. NO.  240

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 1648

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1648 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide parents of children with disabilities additional flexibility in choices relating to education by:

     (1)  Including classes in home schools as special classes through which appropriate services are rendered to exceptional children;

     (2)  Allowing children with disabilities to attend schools outside of their district of residence; and

     (3)  No longer allowing the Department of Education (DOE) to offer for purchase special education services to charter schools.

     Several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  DOE offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting the provision including classes in home schools as special classes through which appropriate services are rendered to exceptional children; and

     (2)  Specifying that children with disabilities shall be granted permission to attend a school outside of their district of residence, in the same manner provided to children without disabilities.

     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. 1648, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1648, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Health.

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

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair