STAND. COM. REP. NO. 744

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 532

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 532, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize public school employees or agents who have completed appropriate training to administer medication for 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 System, and Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals.

Your Committee finds that there is a chronic shortage of health care workers in the State. A number of public school campuses rely on school health aides and nurses from the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program to administer medication to students. If no school health aide is available or if an emergency situation arises during an off-campus excursion that requires medication to be administered without the presence of a health care professional, students are placed at risk if others are not authorized to assist in the administration. This measure addresses this concern by expanding the authority of trained staff and agents to assist with the administration of medication to students to increase access to care and promote engagement for all students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that certain individuals may assist students with the administration of medication that has been prescribed by a licensed physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority, or by any other licensed health care practitioner with prescriptive authority; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 532, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 532, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair