STAND. COM. REP. NO. 808

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1043

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1043 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to repeal the requirement for the Department of Education report weekly on schools that have reported positive COVID-19 cases.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education and Department of Health. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from three individuals.

Your Committee finds that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the operations of schools and required additional processes and procedures be established to ensure the safety of children and prevent them from getting or spreading COVID-19. Your Committee further finds that pursuant to Act 4, Special Session Laws of Hawaii, 2021, the Department of Education is required to publish a report weekly on schools that have a student, staff member, or affiliated individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. Due to the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, high levels of infection-based immunity, increased access to testing, effective treatments, and other increased prevention and mitigation efforts, the weekly COVID-19 reporting requirement may no longer be providing the same benefit as originally intended and should be repealed.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to June 30, 3000; 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. 1043, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1043, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair