STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2544

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 3296

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

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. 3296 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPORTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Designate school sports as a co-curricular activity; and

 

     (2)  Require the Department of Education to submit a report on the cost of implementing sports as co-curricular activities.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from eleven individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii High School Athletic Association and eight individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

 

     Your Committee finds that students who participate in interscholastic athletic activities experience a variety of benefits including increased academic success, improved physical health, improved leadership and teamwork abilities, a greater sense of accountability and responsibility, improved concentration, higher self-esteem and self-confidence, reduced likelihood of using drugs, lower likelihood of dropping out of school, and a reduced suicide rate.  Student-athletes often spend more time with their coaches than their teachers, and coaches can instill important life skills on youth, especially youth that do not readily thrive in an academic setting.  Your Committee therefore finds that this measure will provide a broad spectrum of benefits to students by elevating school sports to co-curricular status.

 

     Your Committee has concerns, however, regarding the impact of this measure on course credit requirements for students and recommends further discussion on this matter.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; 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 Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3296, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3296, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair