Immigration

Requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to develop an alternative pathway for a visiting international educator permit aligned to the duration of the educator's J-1 visa program. Permits the Department of Education and charter schools to hire unlicensed individuals as teachers on an emergency basis for five, rather than three, years. Requires HTSB to extend the five-year period in the case of a declared state of emergency. Requires the Department of Education to provide support to assist emergency hires in meeting the requirements of licensure and require the training be mandatory for emergency hires in their fourth and fifth years. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

This bill urges county planning and permitting agencies in Hawaii to deny all permit applications for the construction, expansion, or use of warehouses by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detaining individuals facing deportation. The resolution directs these agencies to refuse permits specifically for facilities intended to house large numbers of people in warehouse settings, citing concerns about mass incarceration and local resource strain. It is a non-binding recommendation that applies to county-level planning departments across Hawaii's major islands. The bill does not create new laws or penalties but instead asks local officials to exercise their permitting authority to block such facilities.

This bill urges Hawaii's county planning and permitting agencies to deny all applications for building, expanding, or using warehouses by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detaining individuals facing deportation. It is based on concerns about the potential for mass incarceration in large facilities, the strain on local resources, and the separation of individuals from their families and legal counsel. The resolution directs copies to planning officials in Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai counties to encourage them to reject such permit requests. It reflects Hawaii's stated values of dignity and respect for all individuals, regardless of immigration status.

Removes the barrier that requires applicants for professional or vocational licensing to be United States citizens, United States nationals, or persons with work visas. Allows an applicant to provide the applicant's individual tax identification number with a sworn affidavit in lieu of social security numbers when the applicant does not have a social security number. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)