Rep. Justin Woodson

Authorizes the Department of Education to establish a program to award high school diplomas to persons who did not receive a diploma as a result of compulsory or voluntary induction into the armed services and persons whose high school education was interrupted due to wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires the Board of Education to adopt a policy that bans the use of phones and related devices by students during school hours. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Clarifies the grounds for an appeal of non-renewal or revocation of a charter contract. Authorizes public charters schools to appeal directly to the Board of Education on matters regarding the schools' operations, governance, or funding, with certain exceptions. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Requires the Department of Education to implement dyslexia-sensitive universal screenings and evidence-based interventions, offer professional development on structured literacy and evidenced-based interventions, and support pre-teacher programs in training candidates in structured literary instruction. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires the Board of Education to adopt and enact a policy by the 2026-2027 school year directing Department of Education public schools to incorporate financial literacy education in the school's curriculum. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Maddy summaryHB 627 allocates funds to the Department of Education to hire staff focused on implementing and maintaining school safety measures. It directly affects public schools and students by providing resources for safety personnel, though the specific roles aren't detailed in the abstract. The bill's key mechanism is funding these positions, with an effective date listed as July 1, 3000 (likely a typo for 2030). The bill passed committee with amendments on February 4, 2025, but remains pending final approval.

Expands the scopes of practice for occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists employed by or contracted with the Department of Education to diagnose students with a medical condition in an educational setting and treat the students. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to establish an international teacher license for certain visa holders and the requirements to obtain the international teacher license. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires the Department of Education and public charter schools to take certain steps to report incidents of harassment and implement procedures for handling harassment of educational workers. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Includes certain law enforcement administrators and employees of the Department of Law Enforcement as class A members of the pension and retirement systems and provides guidance for the computation of retirement benefits similar to police officers. Effective 07/01/3000. (HD2)