STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2070

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.C.R. No. 117

S.D. 1

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.C.R. No. 117, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO COLLABORATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE COUNTY OF HAWAII TO CONDUCT AN INVENTORY OF BUS STOPS ON HAWAII ISLAND UTILIZED BY CHILDREN TO TRAVEL TO SCHOOL AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT EACH LOCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the Department of Education to collaborate with the Department of Transportation, Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee, and the County of Hawaii to conduct an inventory of bus stops on Hawaii island utilized by children to travel to school and develop strategies to improve safety at each location.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Mayor of the County of Hawaiʻi; one member of the Hawaiʻi County Council; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that many students on Hawaii island face unique transportation challenges that other islands of the State do not face, including long travel distances, limited access to school bus services, and reliance on the County of Hawaii's Hele-On public transportation system through special arrangements with the Department of Education. These challenges are compounded by bus route limitations, road infrastructure deficiencies, and the absence of safe, dedicated school bus stops in certain rural and underserved areas. Your Committee further finds that a comprehensive review of existing bus stops on Hawaii island used by school-aged children is necessary to identify deficiencies and develop recommendations for improvements.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Urging the Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee rather than the Department of Education to conduct an inventory of bus stops on Hawaii island utilized by children to travel to school and develop strategies to improve safety at each location;

(2) Requesting the County of Hawaii to use funding for its Safe Routes to School program to support the efforts of the Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee in conducting the inventory of bus stops on Hawaii island and developing strategies to improve safety at each location;

(3) Requesting the Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee, rather than the Department of Education, to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature;

(4) Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose; 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 117, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Transportation in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 117, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair