STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1009

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 459

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 459, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Specify content required to be included in any sexuality health education program funded by the State;

     (2)  Require each public elementary, middle, intermediate, high, and alternative school operated by the Department of Education to provide sexuality health education;

     (3)  Provide parameters for implementation of sexuality health education programs; and

     (4)  Require the Department of Education to make a list of qualifying sexuality health education curricula available to the public.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; Hawaii Youth Services Network; IMUAlliance; Hawaii Women's Coalition; Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services; Democratic Party of Hawaii Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus; Hawaii State Democratic Women's Caucus; Planned Parenthood of Hawaii; American Association of University Women of Hawaii; Hawaii Women Lawyers; and twenty-two individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from The Ohana Project, Hawaii Christian Coalition, Ola Nui, and one hundred seven individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and one individual.

     Your Committees find that medically accurate sexuality health education is necessary to convey accurate information to students about their bodies, relationships, abstinence, contraception, and prevention of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.  While sexuality health education is already in place in many schools, this measure is an important step toward more uniform curricula that is accessible to the public.  This measure also includes important parameters that grant discretion to the Department of Education regarding the content of sexuality health education in the elementary schools.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding language that allows parents or guardians of students in kindergarten through fifth grade to opt-in to permit their child to participate in sexuality health education programs, and allows parents or guardians of students in grades six through twelve to opt-out to deny permission for their child to participate in sexuality health education programs; and

     (2)  Deleting the requirement that the Department of Education report to the Legislature annually regarding participation rates and outcomes of the Department of Education's policy to allow parents to opt-in to participate in sexuality health education programs.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 459, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 459, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health,

________________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair