STAND. COM. REP. NO.  879

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 688

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 688, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to protect students by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to maintain, monitor, and enforce anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies; and

 

     (2)  Defining bullying, cyberbullying, and harrassment.

 

     Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians, Gays, Transgendered, Bisexuals, Transgendered & Questioning, Pride At Work Hawaii, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  DOE opposed this bill.  The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Deleting provisions requiring DOE to monitor and enforce policies related to bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment; and

    

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to promote further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 688, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 688, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair