So, um it'll be just a nice opportunity for them. As of right now, um you know, Mr. Minix did do a parent meeting to to gauge interest and as of right now, there's about um 10 to 12 students who are interested in attending who have said that they would like to to go um if of course approved by by the board.
So, why wouldn't you contact the author of the measure to find out why? Obviously, there's areas that it's probably not satisfactory. Um, that's already passed or I would assume that he's very much aware of all of this. Right? I I would assume he's very involved. Yes. So, why wouldn't you have contacted him? Um, we will. That's a good recommendation. I'm sorry that we haven't. Okay. Any other questions, members?
Any discussion? Now, Chairwoman Say. All members present, anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1541. Recommendation is to pass unamended. Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with Reservation for Senator Favela. Reservation for me, too. Uh and for Senator Inouye. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1546. Recommendation is to pass with amendments, inserting an appropriation from the general fund to the Department of Human Services to implement a health coverage continuity continuity program.
Um but of course, you know, right now it's just a matter of kind of giving you guys the information and then of course starting the to answer any questions that you guys have. How long in advance do they have to to start like the definite planning of it? So, they want to they want to start now. Um so, honestly, for them, it gives them the opportunity to kind of spread their payments out between now through I believe it's I think it's 4 months prior to the trip going as their final payment. And it just gives them an opportunity to pay on a monthly basis a smaller amount per month versus trying to to to give a larger amount over a shorter group of amount of time. I think that um Bremen was one of them that did it last summer. I think that they um cuz a friend of mine, she's a teacher there and she she went and she loved it.
Hearing none, thank you. Okay, SR 194, uh SR 183. Uh, this is urging Department of Education to meet the criteria necessary to officially recognize cheerleading as a Title IX sport in Hawaii. And we have Sure, we have Department of Education. Yes. Okay, and then we have Good afternoon, Chair Kim, members of the committee. Shawn Bacon speaking on behalf of the Department. Uh, the Department stands on its written testimony in support of this measure. Uh, just to give a little bit of context, too, in 2024, the DOE recently initiated girls flag football. Additionally, this past school year, we um surfing was recognized as a sport. And I think recognizing cheerleading as a sport will provide additional opportunities for our students.
Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1656. Uh recommendation is to pass with amendments effective the date to 2050. Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1661. Recommendation is to pass unamended.
She said it was um and they that's why I was asking cuz I'm pretty sure that it was about a year and a half or 2 years and that way they could the parents could, you know, split up the payments and um but she said it was it was a wonderful experience. >> Yeah, I would say I would say within Indiana, I would say a good 50 to 60% of high schools do similar trips like this. In fact, they get they get it set up to where every year they they pick a different location of of where they're going. And so then that way it gives um students the opportunity to, if they want to experience more places or for those um who maybe want to just focus on one saying, you know what in 3 years I would love to go here and then kind of just keep that on a continual basis each year.
So, uh we stand right ready for any questions. Thank you. Uh Yazmin Shane. I'm sorry. I didn't say your name correctly. Good afternoon. >> Good afternoon. >> Yazmin Shane for the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women. Tortilla, that's what you got to always remember. The two L's are like a Y. Okay. >> Um, >> [laughter and clears throat] >> I stand on our written testimony in support of these resos because equitable access to athletic opportunities is a core component of gender equity and title nine remains a critical tool in ensuring that women and girls receive fair treatment in educational settings including sports. Thank you for your consideration and support. Thank you. Jodi Lynn Bill in support Susan Hause also in support. Anyone else wishing to testify on this measure? If not, Senator you have a backup? We certainly appreciate the fact I don't know if everybody is certainly I do appreciate the fact that women's girls flag football Correct.
Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. >> Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1663. Recommendation is to pass unamended. Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1804. Recommendation is to replace the current language with the language that has the Executive Office on Aging propose a study on long-term care that focuses on financing options, feasibility, and cost of a program, and provide a report to the 2027 Legislature, insert blank appropriation for the Executive Office of Aging.
Where I was last year, they actually had a high school section and a middle school section. Their their high school sections would go overseas, but our middle the middle school section would would go to places within the United States. I think this summer they're actually going to Grand Canyon in Utah. Again, it's just an opportunity to let those students kind of, you know, leave and and experience new things, but then also experience it with with friends and family and and their teachers. Great. It's It is great memories for them. What group is I mean is this like Who's it open to? How is that through like Sure. It's current students and and their if they want a parent who attend a parent can go as well. But of course any parent that would attend would of course go through all of our rules. Foreign language I mean like what like Dusty's putting together like you Yeah, so History is it It could be history.
was instituted. How long has girls flag football been around? I'm going to turn it over to our gender equity and athletics administrator Dana Takahara Diaz to help answer a few of these questions. >> Aloha, thank you for the question. So we are proud to say that we are in our second year of a full-fledged girls flag football season. But how how long before that was was there any kind of organized flag football for girls? Not at the interscholastic level, but it is a [clears throat] very big sport in the community youth level. >> Okay. How long has cheerleading been around? It has been around since 1999 with the Maui league having the first competition. >> Okay, so why is it that cheerleading has not been considered a sport and you did flag football before you even did cheerleading? That is a very good question and I really appreciate it.
Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1840. Recommendation is to pass unamended. Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1854. Recommendation is to pass with amendments, adopt the AG's technical amendments to give the office authority to decertify instead of the board, and clarify the decertification process, and clarify the state's role in certifying clinics.
It could be It could be foreign language. One thing that they do promote is if if they do go, they can offer the opportunity to actually get college credit for for either world history or I believe foreign language And now what country they go to? They were probably like promoting but they've reached out basically to that class of that group of people. >> Absolutely. Is it specific to junior class, senior class? No, it's it's open from freshman to seniors. Such as I know initially when Dusty started talking through it, they were wanting to go next year and not the following year. However, they didn't give enough time to start the process the getting the money paid so it would have been a much larger payment. Um but like current juniors who would have already graduated the time would still be eligible to go. It'd be that that that summer after their their graduation.
We are under federal court law that in 2010 did not recognize competitive cheer as a title nine sport. But most importantly to note that the courts left the competitive cheer open. It didn't bar having competitive cheer as a sport, but it needed to be better organized with rules and a robust schedule. So that's where we're at now in Hawaii and that's where the current where we exist is we are working towards meeting the criteria as based by the office for civil rights US Department of Education. Good evening, are you saying 2010? This is 2026. So yes. You guys had 16 years to figure out how to organize cheerleading? You did women's girls flag football within no time at all. So we're I'm not barring or saying we shouldn't have that. I'm just saying how how do we have a sport like cheerleading that's been around for decades?
Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1860. Recommendation is to pass unamended. Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 1891. Recommendation is to pass unamended.
How are you going to pick if there's say 50 you said 10 to 12 say 15? Then they can have 15 go. There's going to be no limit. Yeah, there is there is no limit. They will they will base everything off of whoever is interested. Cuz the the way that I understood of that because obviously if you have like you know double in a room then it you know that's how the price so obviously they would want the more people to go that way it's not as expensive. Yeah, and and typically they they usually say about 25 to 30 students to have a a singular tour group for for one school. However, what they do is they take schools maybe in the same area or similar size who maybe if if we have a group of 10 and another school has a group of 10, they may combine those groups so then that way they're on one tour versus trying to make the cost a little bit more for for the group.
Yes. And you folks knew from 2010 you need to organize it better, but it didn't take place. So there are 31 states including the District of Columbia that recognizes competitive cheer as a title nine sport. So we are one of the emerging sports that we believe with some changes in our interscholastic competitive cheer program to have a robust competitive season, we will meet the criteria as stated in the office of civil rights. So that's where we're at today. >> where you're at today. I'm just saying why only today? How come you folks weren't there 2015, 2016? I mean why why has it taken 2020, 2021? Why has it taken so long to not acknowledge cheerleading which although has boys in it, but is primarily a girls sport? You are absolutely correct and last year our numbers we had over 500 student athletes across the state.
Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 19 49 will be deferring. Next item, House Bill 1952. Recommendation is to pass unamended.
And then the chaperones that would go just parents? Yep. Yeah, absolutely. Any other questions? Thank you. Thanks for For for me my final question for Mr. Mack and the board would be when when you do take a vote on it if there are specific questions that you would like answered before you take that vote, let me know and we'll make sure we get that for you. Like I have a question is like I guess at this point it's going to be I mean at some point in time it's got to get officially brought to us, right? >> Correct. And that's so I think it's if I'm not mistaken the ball's in your guys' court. Yeah, I I put together like what it is a timeline and then bring that to us and have that conversation about am I correct? >> Yes. Yes, so it Just to understand the process.
>> You're making my argument. Again, why has it taken again the department this long? Maybe you can answer that. That's a very good question, but I think what we're really wanting to do is ensure that we're trying to have equitable access for all of our students across the department. >> Yes. Yes, we've been wanting that for day one of cheerleading or maybe day year year 10 of cheerleading. We're into we're I don't understand. Why do you guys drag your feet when it comes to women's women's sports and and we know we know that there needs equity. We know it has to be done. Um but why why is it taking so long? And why do we have to do a resolution? I know you're saying you're doing it, but again Yeah, I mean it's it's in the pipeline for us to continue to do at this point right now.