STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2420

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 587

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 587, 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 facilitate public participation in the Board of Education's decision-making process.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the Board of Education to hold not less than two annual community meetings in each county;

(2) Removes the prohibition on community meetings held for the purpose of formulating educational policy;

(3) Removes certain exemptions granted to the Board of Education's community meetings; and

(4) Requires the Board of Education to video record community meetings.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Democratic Party of Hawaii's Education Caucus.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Office of Information Practices.

Your Committee finds that requiring the Board of Education to hold additional community meetings throughout the State and recording those meetings will increase public participation in the Board's decision-making process, especially among individuals who reside outside of Honolulu.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 587, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 587, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair