STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2977

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 61

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 61 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROMOTE INCREASED PARTICIPATION BY SCHOOLS IN THE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to further community resilience and prompt, effective response to disasters by encouraging the Department of Education to promote increased participation by schools in the Community Emergency Response Team program.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a federally-sponsored program that provides training to the public in disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic medical operations, and light search and rescue operations.  The CERT program is currently administered by the counties and the training is free.  Schools may arrange for CERT training for their students, and some high schools within the State have already participated in the program.  Your Committee finds that increased participation in the CERT program by schools would benefit local communities and the State as a whole.

     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. 61 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair