STAND. COM. REP. NO. 518

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 587

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 587 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require that the Board of Education hold at least two community meetings each year in each county to receive public input on public education and public library issues; and

(2) Remove the restriction on community meetings to allow the meetings to be held for the purpose of formulating educational policy.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and four individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Board of Education and Office of Information Practices.

Your Committees find that community meetings held by the Board of Education improve the public's access to the Board and allow the public to provide the Board with more information to help with decision-making and priority setting. However, the Board of Education typically holds meetings in Honolulu, which makes it difficult for community members from the neighbor islands to provide community concerns and input. This measure provides greater access to the Board of Education from communities in each county across the State and allows the Board to hear from more community stakeholders when developing educational policies.

To assist your Committee on Ways and Means with its deliberation on this measure, your Committees note that the Board of Education may need an appropriation of $10,000 to cover the added travel costs associated with holding at least two community meetings in each county.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that community meetings held by the Board of Education shall be exempt from requirements related to:

(A) Including an agenda when the Board provides public notice in accordance with state laws; and

(B) Keeping written or recorded minutes of all meetings; and

(2) Requiring the Board of Education to video record community meetings and make the video recordings available at the next regular meeting.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 587, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 587, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair