STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3586

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.C.R. No. 126

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Education and Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 126, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH AN INTEGRATING REHABILITATION PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH ANGER PROBLEMS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to urge the Department of Education to establish an anger management and rehabilitation program to provide students who commit acts of violence or harassment at their schools with the rehabilitation that they need to change their behavior.

 

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and fifteen individuals.

 

     Your Committees find that incidents of violence and killing are becoming increasingly more prevalent in the current global climate.  Throughout the past decade, we have witnessed the likes of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the war in Iraq, and violence in our schools and neighborhoods, including the more recent tragedies on the campuses of Northern Illinois University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  Your Committees further find that, although Hawaii promotes the spirit of aloha, incidents of violence have infiltrated our own communities, including our schools.  In order to foster peaceful school environments and communities, especially for our keiki, the State must actively address and assist students who possess anger issues.

 

     This measure urges the Board of Education to establish an anger management and rehabilitation program to provide students who commit acts of violence or harassment at their schools with the rehabilitation that they need to change their behavior.  Your Committees determine that it is more appropriate to request the Department of Education and the Department of Health to jointly study the feasibility of establishing an anger management program modeled after substance abuse programs to provide students who commit acts of violence or harassment at their school with the tools they need to change their behavior.  Your Committees believe that such assistance will help students to learn appropriate coping skills to reduce incidents of violence in our schools and communities.

 

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requesting the Department of Education and the Department of Health to jointly study the feasibility of integrating rehabilitation programs for students with anger problems, including changing the title to reflect the same;

 

     (2)  Requesting the Department of Education and the Department of Health to submit a report to the Legislature, no later than twenty days prior to convening of the Regular Session of 2009, on the progress of the study, including:

 

          (A)  Proposals for Department of Education anger management programs; and

 

          (B)  Projected costs of the proposed programs; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 126, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 126, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair