STAND. COM. REP. NO. 848

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 671

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 671, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENT IMMUNIZATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt students in post-secondary education programs from immunization requirements if they attend classes exclusively online or through distance learning.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and Chaminade University of Honolulu. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that post-secondary online education and distance learning programs expand access to higher education and workforce development opportunities. For example, the University of Hawaii offers a multitude of online and distance learning courses, with 1,428 online classes offered in the fall of 2018. These courses provide more flexibility in location and schedule for students who are working, have family responsibilities, or have other challenges participating in on-campus classes.

Your Committee further finds that existing Hawaii Administrative Rules require post-secondary students, including students in online or distance learning programs who do not attend classes in person, to provide immunization records with evidence of certain vaccinations. The Department of Health is currently proposing a rule change to exempt students who participate in fully online programs from the immunization requirements. However, that rule change is still in the process of being adopted. Therefore, this measure provides an exemption from the immunization requirements for these students in a timely and expedient manner.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2020; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 671, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 671, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair