STAND. COM. REP. NO. 327

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1129

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1129 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to repeal the transfer of Public Health Nurses and School Health Aides from the Department of Health to the Department of Education.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Government Employees Association, HGEA/AFSCME, Local 152, AFL-CIO.  Testimony in opposition of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education and the Department of Health.

 

     Your Committee finds that pursuant to Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, as amended, the Department of Education was established as a separate jurisdiction of the State.  As a result, the transfer of authority and personnel was accomplished as well.  Included in the transfer under Act 51, as amended, are Public Health Nurse and School Health Aide positions from the Department of Health to the Department of Education, to be effective July 1, 2007.  Your Committee understands that their transfer was intended to provide a coordinated school health services program within the Department of Education; however, concerns have arisen regarding the security of existing Public Health Nurse and School Health Aide positions within the Department of Education.

 

     Under the weighted student formula, it is unclear as to whether existing Public Health Nurse and School Health Aide positions will survive.  Your Committee finds that these employees are concerned for their livelihood and the situation does not reveal what will ultimately happen to each of these employees.  However, representations have been made that the Interagency Working Group, created under Act 51, as amended, has been working toward the effective and efficient transfer of School Health Aides and Public Health Nurses to the Department of Education.  Therefore, your Committee determines that this measure should continue to progress through the session, should it be necessary, as the Interagency Working Group continues to develop its plan for the smooth transition of positions from the Department of Health to the Department of Education.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1129, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1129, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair