STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1045

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1499

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1499, H.D. 1, 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 consistent with standards applicable to school health assistants.

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; and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that access to certain medications during school may be necessary for the attendance of students with a health condition. School health assistants play a vital student support role by administering needed medications to students. Under existing law, only school health assistants are authorized to administer routine medications. The reliance on a single person naturally creates challenges to consistent and efficient application and service delivery. The school health assistants cannot be in multiple locations at once, such as field trips, emergencies, or while assisting other students. This measure expands the pool of authorized persons to administer medications to properly trained volunteers, which will help maintain continuity of health services while upholding established safety and training standards.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1499, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1499, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair