STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2026

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3098

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 3098 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR LEAD ABATEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide an emergency appropriation to the Department of Education for vital lead abatement measures to repair or replace plumbing fixtures shown to have more than five parts per billion lead at Department of Education elementary schools.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Department of Health, and Hawaii State Teachers Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, there is no known safe level of lead in a child's blood, and lead is harmful to health, especially for children. Results of the recently completed first phase of a United States Environmental Protection Agency's, Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act grant programs found Department of Education elementary schools with old plumbing fixtures that are resulting in trace amounts of lead being found in drinking water sources.

Accordingly, your Committee finds that the lead abatement measures to be funded by this measure are necessary and vital to the health and well-being of students across the State.

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 S.B. No. 3098 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair