STAND. COM. REP. NO. 87

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 977

       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 S.B. No. 977 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide funds to the Department of Education for the purpose of raising awareness of mental health issues; providing training to public school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel so they may more effectively support students; and creating additional public school counselor positions.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Helping Hands Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and Halau Ku Mana.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

     Your Committees find that mental health training for school administrators, teachers, and other personnel will increase their capacity to identify, respond, and support students who may be experiencing mental health challenges.  Arming school personnel with knowledge about mental health concerns may help to identify students in need of mental health services and work to alleviate stigmas surrounding mental illness.

     Your Committees further find that school counselor positions are created at the school level through weighted student formula funds, and an appropriation for additional positions may not result in additional counselors.

     As such your Committees have amended this measure by removing the appropriation for additional school counselor positions.

     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 S.B. No. 977, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 977, 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