STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3125

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2664

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2664, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Board of Education to:

(1) In addition to its noticed regular public meetings, hold no less than six community forums annually, with at least one forum in each county;

(2) Include an open forum for public comments on non-agenda items at the end of the agenda of each of its noticed regular public meetings; and

(3) Submit a report to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2021 on its efforts in implementing open forums at the end of each of its noticed regular public meetings.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Education, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Americans for Democratic Action, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest.

Your Committee finds that community meetings improve the public's access to the Board of Education and provide the Board with more information to assist in its decision-making and priority setting. Your Committee further finds that the Board should receive public input at its noticed regular public meetings and by reaching out to the public through community meetings. This measure seeks to increase communication between the community-at-large and the Board of Education.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2664, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair