STAND. COM. REP. NO. 342

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 627

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. 627 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Education for positions to implement and maintain school safety measures.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Law Enforcement; Department of Education; Hawaiʻi Fire Department; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that funding is critically needed for school safety measures, including active threat response training, hazardous material disposal contracts, school safety equipment, threat assessment and reporting, and fire safety. Your Committee further finds that state funding for school safety measures is a proactive step to protect schools in the State and ensure that students can focus on learning without fear.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the amount appropriated and amount of positions to be funded to unspecified amounts;

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

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $15,800,000 for one targeted violence prevention and threat assessment program manager and one fire safety and security technology program manager to implement and maintain school safety measures.

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. 627, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 627, 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