STAND. COM. REP. NO.  129

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2023

 

RE:   H.B. No. 554

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 554 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAMPUS SAFETY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require that University of Hawaii students and employees receive training on sexual misconduct awareness and trauma informed responses, sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;

 

     (2)  Require that the University ensure that any individual who participates in implementing the University's disciplinary process has training or experience in handling sexual misconduct complaints and the disciplinary process;

 

     (3)  Require that the University provide mandatory annual trauma informed, gender inclusive, LGBTQ+ inclusive sexual misconduct primary prevention and awareness programming for students and employees of the University; and

 

     (4)  Prohibit the University from taking disciplinary action against individuals reporting sexual misconduct unless certain exceptions apply.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Rainbow Family 808, Every Voice Coalition Hawaii, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, Imua Alliance, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center, and seventeen individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and one individual.

 

Your Committee finds that college campuses should be safe and free from sexual and domestic violence, and that strengthening campus safety protocols will expand the protections available to students.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Adding four full-time equivalent positions and appropriating an unspecified amount;

 

     (2)  Making conforming amendments related to separate deadlines for existing employees and new employees;

 

     (3)  Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $1,000,000.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 554, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 554, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education & Technology,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair