STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1069

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 100

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 100 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE FREE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS TO STUDENTS ON ALL HAWAII PUBLIC SCHOOL CAMPUSES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Education to provide free menstrual products to students on all Hawaii public school campuses.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center, Mai Movement Hawaii, HawaiiKidsCAN, Hawaii Women's Coalition, I Support the Girls Hawaii, Going Home Hawaii, Neighborhood Place of Puna, AF3IRM Hawaii, Hawaii Student Care Resources, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, and forty-eight individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Board of Education policy number 111010 states that "gender equity extends the doctrine of fairness to all areas of activity in the public school system".  Your Committee further finds that the funding allocated by the Legislature and expended by the Department of Education should be equitably allocated among students who menstruate and those who do not.  However, although the Department of Education maintains a healthy school environment by providing free products to students such as toilet paper and hand soap in restrooms, the Department of Education does not provide students with free menstrual products.  Some students who are menstruating do not come to school or leave school early because they cannot afford the menstrual products that maintain a healthy school environment.  By providing these products to students, the Department of Education will promote gender equity in schools as well as ensure that students from lower income homes do not miss out on their education simply because they cannot afford these products. 

 

     Your Committee notes that the Department of Education is encouraged to start right away with distributing menstrual products to students using the school health rooms and possibly female school teachers to distribute the products rather than using dispensers and to consider using federal funds for Title I schools as well as seek advice from other state agencies that may already be providing these products through different programs.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 100 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair