STAND. COM. REP. NO. 264-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2509

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2509 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Education for the installation of air conditioning in Hawaii's public school permanent classrooms and portable classrooms that have not yet received air conditioning units; provided that the school principal designates the installation of air conditioning as the school's top priority.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that hot classroom temperatures in Hawaii's public schools can adversely affect students by making them drowsy, irritable, and unmotivated, and sometimes causing students to suffer headaches, nausea, and heat rashes. Your Committee further finds that heat abatement in Hawaii's public schools is becoming a necessity for students to learn and enjoy their time in school. The State fulfilled its promise to install air conditioning in more than one thousand classrooms in eighty-eight public schools across five islands.  This measure provide funds to continue the installation of air conditioning in classrooms that have not yet received air conditioning units.

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

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. 2509, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2509, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair