STAND. COM. REP. NO. 177

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 616

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. 616 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SAFETY OF EDUCATIONAL WORKERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide increased protection for educational workers by requiring the Department of Education and state public charter schools to take certain steps to better address the harassment of educational workers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and nine individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that this measure recognizes the necessity of safeguarding educational workers who may encounter instances of harassment which may interfere with educational workers ability to provide optimal delivery of educational services to the State's students and families. This measure is a step in helping to maintain a secure and conducive learning environment for educators and students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that an educational worker shall not be required to work under conditions or perform tasks when the educational worker is being subjected to harassment, as provided by law, because of the educational worker's position as an educational worker;

(2) Specifying that the Department of Education and public charter schools shall reimburse the education worker for costs incurred from serving temporary restraining orders related to harassment, rather than be required to reimburse the educational worker's attorney's fees or court costs;

(3) Clarifying that an educational worker shall be entitled to paid leave of absence when seeking judicial protection from harassment, as provided by law, because of the educational worker's position as an educational worker;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

(5) 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. 616, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 616, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair