STAND. COM. REP. NO. 469

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 902

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. 902 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Education to conduct a study on methods that will help support schools impacted by the Hawaiian Electric Company's Planned Public Safety Power Shutoff program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Public Utilities Commission; and Hawaiian Electric.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaiian Electric Company's Planned Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Program, implemented on July 1, 2024, aims to reduce wildfire risks by proactively shutting off power in high-risk areas during specific weather conditions. While the PSPS Program is critical for public safety, the program's implementation poses significant operational challenges for public schools and may disrupt essential services at the schools. Currently, fifteen Department of Education schools and one public charter school are identified as vulnerable to PSPS events.

Your Committee believes that maintaining school operations during PSPS events is vital to ensuring educational continuity, providing access to meals, and sustaining a sense of normalcy for students. This measure will provide funding for a study that will give further insight on ways to support schools that may be impacted by the PSPS Program.

Your Committee notes that electric utility public safety power shutoffs may affect parts of Kauai County and believes that the study as required by this measure should encompass counties that are not provided electricity by the Hawaiian Electric Company.

Your Committee has accordingly amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the appropriation to the Department of Education shall be used to conduct a study on methods to support Department schools that may be impacted by electric utilities' planned public safety power shutoff program;

(2) Amending the preamble to reflect its amended purpose;

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

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes 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. 902, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 902, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair