STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2410

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2607

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Economic Development, Environment, and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2607 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STUDENT DATA MANAGEMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to limit the ways in which the operator of a website, online service, or mobile application working with the Department of Education can use student data.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education and Microsoft.

     Your Committees find that students in Hawaii's schools are growing up in a world that is increasingly interconnected through the Internet, mobile phones, tablets, and other applications of information technology.  Improper handling of information technology can cause a user's personal information to become available to other parties who may misuse that data for a wide range of purposes.  Students have a reasonable expectation that software, applications, and other information services provided by their school or the Department of Education will be responsibly regulated and free of unnecessary risk.  However, your Committees also note the existence of concerns that this measure as proposed is overly broad and requires revision.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding language clarifying that content, software, application, and service providers have a duty to make a good faith effort to protect covered student information; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Economic Development, Environment, and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2607, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2607, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Economic Development, Environment, and Technology,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair