STAND. COM. REP. NO. 904-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2400

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2400, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board to revoke a teacher license if the teacher resigned or retired during the pendency of any investigation into allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or other physical abuse of a student.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board.

Your Committee finds that teachers who are under investigation for allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or other physical abuse of students can avoid having their teaching licenses revoked by resigning or retiring before the completion of the investigation. Your Committee believes that these teachers should be required to surrender their licenses so that their names are added to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification database – the national collection point for professional educator disciplinary actions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring a teacher to surrender their teaching license if the teacher resigns or retires during the pendency of any investigation into allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or other physical abuse of a student, rather than having the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board revoke the license;

(2) Requiring the surrender of the teacher's license to be reported to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification; and

(3) 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2400, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2400, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair