STAND. COM. REP. NO.  128-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1706

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 1706 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to introduce emergency management and resilience training to high school students by establishing within the Department of Education the Youth Civil Defense Corps and requiring the Board of Education to adopt standards and curriculum for student participation.

The Department of Defense, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Department of Education offered comments.

     Should the Committee on Education further deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider the possibility of consolidating the federal Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program with the Youth Civil Defense Corps.  The CERT Program is administered by the counties and features a corps of trained volunteers who activate themselves immediately after a disaster to assist their families, neighbors, and communities until first responders can reach affected areas.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1706 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair