STAND. COM. REP. NO. 477

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 318

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 318 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow home schooled students to participate in extracurricular activities offered at the public school that they would otherwise be required to attend.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that extracurricular activities provide valuable opportunities for children to interact with peers and build important social skills.  Your Committee further finds that these activities are frequently offered by schools, and that home schooled children are limited in their ability to participate in them.  This measure will allow home schooled children to benefit from extracurricular activities.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding language requiring that, before participating in extracurricular activities, home schooled students shall:

          (A)  Submit their birth certificate and proof of residency to the Department of Education; and

          (B)  Be registered as a home schooled student at the beginning of the school year and at least twelve months prior to participation; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 318, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 318, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair