STAND. COM. REP. NO. 130

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 391

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 391 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Education for behavior analysis services performed by licensed behavior analysts for public school students.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Together For Our Keiki, Hawai‘i Association for Behavior Analysis, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawai‘i Psychological Association, and six individuals.

Your Committee finds that behavior analysis means the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional and environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior. Your Committee further finds that many students enrolled in Department of Education schools would benefit from the expansion of behavior analysis services throughout the State's public school system, including students with autism spectrum disorders. This measure ensures that all students requiring behavioral support receive the care they need and provides teachers with the necessary support they may need from other professionals with expertise in behavior analysis.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a blank appropriation amount for the Department of Education to provide behavior analysis services performed by licensed behavior analysts for public school students; and

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

Your Committee notes that although the appropriation is blank, an appropriation of $20,000,000 is necessary to provide behavior analysis services performed by licensed behavior analysts for public school students.

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. 391, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 391, 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