STAND. COM. REP. NO. 232-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2125

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2125 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OFFICIAL SCHOOL BUSINESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide increased protection for educational workers to conduct school business by establishing the offense of harassment of an educational worker as a misdemeanor.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from four individuals.

Your Committee finds that the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing political polarization have created a more difficult environment to implement school policies and ensure the protection of educational workers. This measure will provide protection for educational workers from harassment when, for example, the actions or behavior of a member of the general public is uncontrollable. By making such action a misdemeanor, this may serve as a deterrent of harassing behavior against educational workers, thus allowing for the continued positive academic experiences for the State's students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; and

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

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 H.B. No. 2125, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2125, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair