STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1695-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.C.R. No. 51

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 51, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY TO STUDENTS IN GRADES SIX TO TWELVE IN SELECT SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request that the youth risk behavior survey be administered, in odd-numbered years, to students in grades six to twelve in select public and charter schools, and in private schools.

This measure also requests that a student be excused from participating in the youth risk behavior survey if the student's parent or legal guardian submits written notification to the school stating that the parent or legal guardian does not give permission for that student to participate in the survey.

The Hui for Excellence in Education, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and Planned Parenthood of Hawaii supported this measure. The Department of Education supported this measure with amendments.

The Department of Health supported the intent of this measure with amendments.

Your Committee finds that the cost for additional data collection at charter and private schools would place an unnecessary burden on the schools and their students and would increase the costs of survey administration, which are not budgeted.  Your Committee further finds that a census is not needed to obtain representative data for this population.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Clarifying that the Department of Education is requested to administer the youth risk behavior survey to a sample of students in select department schools;

(2)  Providing that the State Public Charter School Commission is requested to administer the youth risk behavior survey to a sample of students in select charter schools; and

(3)  Requesting that select private schools be given the opportunity to administer the youth risk behavior survey to a sample of students.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 51, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 51, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair