Authorizes the Adjutant General to expand the Hawaii National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program to include graduate degrees at the University of Hawaii for qualified enlisted personnel in the Hawaii National Guard. (CD1)
Establishes within the Department of Education arts integration coordinator or specialist positions to support fine arts education and arts integration in public schools statewide. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Directs the University of Hawaii Community College System, in partnership with state agencies and maritime employers, to conduct a study and develop a plan for a statewide Maritime Youth Apprenticeship Pathway Program for individuals ages 16 to 24. Requires a report to the Legislature with recommendations on program structure, resource needs, proposed legislation and implementation options. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)
HB 2437 allocates state funds to the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to support its "Artists in the Schools" program. This program directly brings professional artists into public schools to provide hands-on arts education. The bill provides concrete funding for the program's operations, including artist stipends and materials. It affects participating public schools and their students by expanding access to in-person arts instruction.
Allows the Department of Education and charter schools to hire unlicensed individuals as teachers on an emergency basis for five, rather than three, years. Requires that unlicensed teachers hired on an emergency basis make continuous and verifiable progress toward satisfying licensing requirements. Sunsets on 6/30/2031, but provides that unlicensed emergency hires employed before the sunset date may continue employment for up to five years from their hiring date, under certain conditions. (CD1)
This Senate Concurrent Resolution requests the State Auditor to conduct quarterly performance and management audits of Hawaii's Department of Education and its attached agencies. The bill addresses concerns that the department's internal audit office has a conflict of interest because its director reports directly to the Superintendent, while the existing Audit Committee lacks authority to evaluate program effectiveness for student success. Under this resolution, the Auditor would rotate quarterly audits among different agencies and focus on academic performance, leadership structures, federal funding usage, and school plans. The Department of Education is urged to use these audit findings to evaluate programs and reallocate resources to improve student academic outcomes and workforce readiness.
This Senate Concurrent Resolution urges Hawaii's Department of Education to strengthen menstrual health education initiatives and adopt a comprehensive curriculum for public schools. The resolution calls for a curriculum built on four pillars of menstrual dignity: privacy, inclusivity, access, and education, while covering topics like hygiene, stigmas, and health challenges. It specifies age-appropriate goals for grades 5, 8, and 12, and requires elementary schools to include anatomically correct diagrams, age-appropriate books, and instruction on menstrual dignity. This non-binding resolution does not change existing laws but recommends specific educational standards to improve menstrual health education across the state.
This Senate Concurrent Resolution requests the Hawaii Department of Education to form a committee to create a plan for a new K-12 Hawaiian language immersion school in Kapolei. The bill responds to community demand and addresses the current lack of a complete K-12 immersion program in the area, which forces many students to commute long distances to Honolulu for education. The proposed committee would include 11 members representing school administrators, teachers, higher education officials, and community stakeholders to guide the planning process. The action plan developed by this committee must address facility needs, teacher recruitment, and curriculum development to establish a self-contained school serving grades K-12.
This Senate Resolution requests the Hawaii Department of Transportation, working with the Department of Education, to evaluate and recommend improvements to the licensing, training, and recruitment process for school bus drivers. The bill aims to address driver shortages that cause route cancellations and transportation disruptions, particularly affecting students in rural and neighbor island communities. The evaluation will examine barriers such as testing availability, interagency coordination, and workforce pipeline issues, with a deadline to submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature by early 2027.
This Senate Concurrent Resolution asks the Department of Transportation to work with the Department of Education to study how to improve the process for hiring and training school bus drivers in Hawaii. The bill addresses ongoing shortages of qualified drivers that have led to canceled routes and disrupted transportation for students, particularly in rural and neighbor island communities. The requested evaluation will examine barriers to commercial driver's licensing, coordination between agencies and private contractors, and strategies to expand testing and training access. The departments must consult with various stakeholders and submit a report with findings and recommendations to the Legislature by the start of the 2027 regular session.
