HB 1888 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO THE SAFETY OF EDUCATIONAL WORKERS.

Summary

Part I: Requires the Department of Education and state public charter schools to take certain steps to better address the harassment of educational workers, including sports officials. Authorizes the Attorney General to assist educational workers, including sports officials at department of education or public charter school sporting events, who have been subject to harassment or intentional bodily injury in obtaining a temporary restraining order. Part II: Includes the intentional, knowing or reckless disruption or interference with a school function, school administration, or school board under the offense of harassment. Makes harassment to an educational worker, including sports officials, engaged in the performance of their duty a misdemeanor. (CD1)

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

Jul 2026

Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Signed Jul 14, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB1888_SD1 → HB1888_SD2 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill revision expands protections for educational workers by explicitly including sports officials (coaches, referees, administrators) in harassment and assault laws. It strengthens penalties for harming these workers, raising assault charges from misdemeanors to felonies for repeat offenses, and mandates that the Attorney General cover costs for temporary restraining orders. The update also clarifies that harassment must be based on a worker's position and requires schools to conduct internal investigations for threats of physical harm.

Scope change

The scope of protection was broadened to explicitly include sports officials (coaches, referees, timers, scorers, and administrators) alongside traditional staff like teachers and counselors. The definition of 'educational worker' was updated to include administrators and contractual staff.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of 'educational worker' to explicitly include administrators, specialists, counselors, teachers, sports officials, and contract employees.

Added a specific definition for 'sports official' to include referees, coaches, and administrators at public school events, regardless of payment status.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the harassment reporting requirement to mandate reporting only when the incident involves a potential threat of physical harm.

Replaced the requirement for schools to conduct annual harassment training with a mandate to include harassment handling and de-escalation techniques in existing annual safety training.

Authorized the Attorney General to reimburse educational workers for costs incurred when serving temporary restraining orders, excluding attorney fees.

Required schools to provide documentation to verify court-related leave of absence for educational workers seeking judicial protection.

ENFORCEMENT

Increased penalties for assaulting educational workers or sports officials, making first offenses a Class C felony and second offenses within ten years a Class B felony.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Iwamoto voting no (1) and none excused (0).

lower

May 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.

upper

May 1, 2026

Introduced

48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-06-26

upper

May 1, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 150-26).

upper

May 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 150-26) as amended in (CD 1).

lower

May 1, 2026

Upper · Passed

The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Elefante, Rhoads, Wakai, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

May 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, Sayama, Tarnas, Lee, M., Muraoka; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

lower

Apr 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 05-01-26 1:30PM in conference room 229.

lower

Apr 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Thursday 04-30-26 1:37PM in conference room 229.

lower

Apr 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Wednesday 04-29-26 1:30PM in conference room 229.

lower

Apr 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Tuesday, 04-28-26 1:35PM in conference room 229.

lower

Apr 20, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to EDN, LAB, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 30

lower

Apr 16, 2026

Amended

House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Introduced

Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 636) in amended form (SD 2).

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fevella. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Apr 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Apr 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Apr 7, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC/WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-09-26 10:30AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC/WAM.

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Committee

Reported from EDU/LBT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3388) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC/WAM.

upper

Mar 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on LBT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in LBT were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Elefante, Lamosao, Moriwaki; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fevella ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Ihara.

upper

Mar 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Kidani, Hashimoto, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fukunaga.

upper

Mar 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDU/LBT has scheduled a public hearing on 03-23-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Committee

Referred to EDU/LBT, JDC/WAM.

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 312).

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with Representative(s) Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia voting no (1) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Garcia.

lower

Feb 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).

lower

Feb 20, 2026

Committee

Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 638-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to JHA.

lower

Feb 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Kong, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Feb 9, 2026

Committee

Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 76-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to LAB.

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Jan 26, 2026

Committee

Referred to EDN, LAB, JHA, referral sheet 2

lower

Jan 26, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

29 primary · 0 co-sponsors