STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3612

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 94

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 Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 94 entitled:

"REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH A FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN TO MAKE COMPLETION OF A FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID A STATEWIDE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT BEGINNING IN THE 2022-2023 ACADEMIC YEAR,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Education to establish a free application for federal student aid working group to develop and implement a plan to make completion of a free application for federal student aid a statewide graduation requirement beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, HawaiiKidsCAN, and six individuals.

Your Committee finds that due to the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and the limited timeframe being faced by the Legislature to act in response, measures are necessary to provide the Senate with the ability to gather relevant information from the Governor and the executive agencies. These measures further urge that actions be taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its contents with language that urges restaurants throughout the State to adopt the recommended best practices and safety guidelines developed by the United States Food and Drug Administration and National Restaurant Association in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 94, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 94, S.D. 1.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair