STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2427

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2071

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2071 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require all principals, guidance counselors, and teachers to perform self-review of seizure safety materials annually;

(2) Require the preparation of seizure action plan for each public and public charter school student diagnosed with a seizure disorder and distribution of the plan to employees charged with supervising the student;

(3) Require public schools, private schools, and public charter schools to have an employee trained to administer seizure disorder rescue medication;

(4) Exempt schools that do not have a student with a seizure disorder; and

(5) Make an appropriation.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii Association for Justice, Epilepsy Foundation Hawaii, Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, Special Education Advisory Council, and fifteen individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that safety and continuity of care in the event of a seizure is a critical priority for the seizure disorder community. Seizures can happen at any place and time and while they do not necessarily occur every day on school campuses, students living with seizure disorders face the risk of a life-threatening seizure every single day.

Accordingly, your Committees find that this measure promotes student safety and well-being by requiring schools to implement certain proactive measures to prepare for and appropriately respond to a student seizure event. Proper seizure first aid at school and consistency of care for students with seizure disorders are crucial to ensuring these students reach their full potential with as little disruption to their education as possible.

Your Committees note the testimony of the State Public Charter School Commission regarding the need for additional funding for health assistant and nurse services to accomplish the intent of this measure.

Your Committees have therefore amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an additional appropriation in an unspecified amount for the purpose of increasing health assistant and nurse services in state public charter schools;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2071, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2071, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health,

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair