Expands the Hawaii promise program to provide scholarships for the unmet needs of qualified students at any four-year university of Hawaii campus who meet certain criteria. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
SB 1566 establishes Hawaii's Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, administered by the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board. The program creates a structured pathway for new educators to earn a teaching license while working as paid apprentices under licensed mentors in Hawaii schools. It directly affects aspiring teachers seeking licensure through on-the-job training rather than traditional education programs. The bill includes funding appropriations to support this initiative, providing a concrete alternative to standard teacher preparation.
Appropriates funds for salaries and fringe benefits of positions for the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy's Space Science and Engineering Initiative Workforce Development Program, Maunakea Scholars Program, and Internship Program. Appropriates funds for office equipment and supplies, operational costs, and stipends for the Maunakea Scholars Program and Internship Program.
Requires the Department of Education to establish rules for the procurement of goods and services related to the administration of food programs at public schools that incorporate a geographic preference for unprocessed locally grown and locally raised food products.
Establishes and appropriates funds for student transportation coordinators positions within the Department of Education to strengthen student transportation services across the State. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
Appropriates funds to support educational training programs to expand the State's health care workforce, including funding to support health care certification programs offered in public high schools and education programs that support certified nurse assistants in becoming licensed practical nurses. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)
Pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement negotiated for Bargaining Unit (5) and subject to the availability of funds, provides annual salary step increases for public school teachers who have completed a year's satisfactory service and comply with specified requirements. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Requires the Department of Education to authorize and facilitate complex areas or individual department schools to form their own farm to school meal programs through partnerships to meet the local farm to school meal goal of thirty per cent of food served in the school to consist of locally sourced products by 2030. Allows the Department of Education to establish a plant-based meal program no later than the 2026-2027 school year.
HB 2019 appropriates funds to the Executive Office on Early Learning to administer financial support for family-child interaction learning programs. The bill directly affects the Executive Office on Early Learning, which will manage the funding, and the early learning programs serving families with young children. This is a funding bill with no policy changes, solely providing resources for existing family-child interaction initiatives.
Designates student transportation as critical infrastructure and a critical service for Hawaii's public education system. Requires all school bus contracts between the State and the contractor to include certain standards, performance metrics, and accountability requirements to prevent service disruptions.
