STAND. COM. REP. NO. 339

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 532

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 532 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Allow school staff and agents trained by a licensed clinician to volunteer to administer medication to students at Department of Education public schools under certain conditions; and

(2) Clarify who may prescribe medication to be administered to students in schools.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Education, and Hawaiʻi Academy of Physician Assistants.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committees find that the State is experiencing a chronic shortage of workers in health care. For some Department of Education campuses, schools rely on school health aides and nurses from the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program to administer medication to students. However, off-campus excursions and emergency situations that require the administration of medication without the presence of a health care professional may put students at risk if others are not authorized to assist in the administration. Equipping faculty and staff who volunteer to administer medication with necessary training will ensure the safety and well-being of students. Accordingly, this measure expands the authority of trained staff and agents to assist with medication administration while ensuring students have the full ability to participate in educational activities.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that a health care professional, rather than a licensed clinician, shall train public school employees and agents to administer medication; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 532, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 532, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health and Human Services,

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair

________________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair