STAND. COM. REP. NO. 461

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1499

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1499 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 authorize public school employees or agents who have completed appropriate training to act as volunteer substitutes to administer medications to students.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Department of Health; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine; Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that school health assistants may administer medications to students in state public schools. However, due to vacancies, many schools face challenges in meeting the needs of students who are prescribed medications or may benefit from receiving medications in emergency situations while on campus. Your Committee believes that school staff acting as volunteers can be an effective substitute for school health assistants after completing training and general instruction in certain tasks.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 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. 1499, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1499, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair