STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1189

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 532

S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 532, S.D. 2, 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 and agents who have completed appropriate training to administer medication for 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 – American Nurses Association; Special Education Advisory Council; and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Patriot Republicans and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that school health assistants may administer medications to students in state public schools. However, due to increasing vacancies for school health assistants, many schools have difficulty 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 authorizing school staff to assist with the administration of medication to students 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 S.B. No. 532, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 532, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Health.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair