STAND. COM. REP. NO. 14

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 411

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 411 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the engagement of the Board of Education with the community by requiring the Board to:

(1) Hold at least six community meetings per year with at least one community meeting held in each county;

(2) Provide an open forum at the end of every public meeting agenda to afford all interested persons an opportunity to present oral testimony on any matter not on the agenda; and

(3) Report to the Legislature on its efforts to include an open forum at the end of each public meeting agenda.

League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Americans for Democratic Action Hawai‘i, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and a few individuals testified in support of this measure. The Board of Education and Office of Information Practices provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion.

Your Committee notes that the Office of Information Practices raised concerns about the exemptions from the Sunshine Law given to community meetings. Should your Committee on Judiciary consider this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it examine these concerns.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 411, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 411, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair