Report Title:

Education

 

Description:

Establishes the Hawaii State Student Council, with student representatives from each departmental school district. Requires the council to conduct an annual conference of secondary school students. (HB11 HD2)

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

11

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

H.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the Hawaii state student council has been functioning for many years. However, although the council is mentioned in the State Constitution, it has never been formally established in statute. In establishing the council statutorily, this Act continues the operations of the existing council and determines the council's composition. Additionally, this Act requires the council to conduct an annual conference of secondary students, and outlines the types of issues that are to be addressed in the conference.

The legislature further finds that the secondary student conference was initiated through Act 94, Session Laws of Hawaii 1970. However, when laws relating to education were recodified into chapter 302A, in 1996, chapter 317, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which relates to the secondary student conference, was overlooked. Accordingly, this Act repeals chapter 317, and incorporates the provisions of the secondary student conference with the establishment of the state student council.

SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A-   Hawaii state student council. (a) There is established within the department for administrative purposes the Hawaii state student council, which shall consist of students from each departmental school district.

(b) The council shall conduct an annual conference of secondary school students, which will enable students in Hawaii's secondary schools to identify, discuss, and arrive at recommended solutions to major youth problems, with an emphasis on school problems that require the attention of and joint action by the students, the department, and the legislature.

(c) The annual student conference shall be held once each school year and shall not exceed three consecutive days. Whenever possible, the annual student conference shall be held within sixty days of the convening of a regular session of the legislature.

(d) The council shall also invite students from schools represented by the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools to participate in the planning of or to attend the annual student conference.

(e) The department shall assign a staff member, to be known as staff adviser to the conference committee, to assist the conference committee, including duties such as planning and implementing the annual student conference and drafting the evaluation report."

SECTION 3. Chapter 317, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2002.