HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2397
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to school facilities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the State faces a critical shortage of early learning facilities and permanent space for public charter schools. The downtown Honolulu area, in particular, has been identified as a high-need region for expanded pre-kindergarten capacity, yet available and appropriate space for new facilities remains limited. The acquisition and renovation of an existing building represents a practical solution to expanding pre-kindergarten capacity in the downtown Honolulu area. Because a building suitable for this purpose is likely to contain more space than required for a pre-kindergarten center alone, collocating a public charter school within the same facility allows for the efficient use of space and addresses multiple facility needs.

The legislature further finds that the school impact fee program was established to ensure that new residential development contributes to the public infrastructure it necessitates. However, school impact fees have largely remained unexpended. The expansion of pre-kindergarten and public charter school capacity constitutes an appropriate and consistent use of these funds.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to transfer school impact fees from the Kalihi-Ala Moana school impact district to the school impact fees subaccount of the school facilities special fund for the acquisition and renovation of one or more buildings in the downtown Honolulu area to develop and expand pre-kindergarten and charter school capacity.

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, there is transferred out from the school impact fees in EDN 400 for the Kalihi-Ala Moana school impact district the sum of $15,237,019 to deposit into the school impact fees subaccount of the school facilities special fund.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the school impact fees subaccount of the school facilities special fund the sum of $15,237,019 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to acquire and renovate one or more buildings in the downtown Honolulu area to develop and expand pre-kindergarten and charter school capacity.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the school facilities authority for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Pre-kindergarten; Charter Schools; Capacity; School Impact Fees; School Facilities Special Fund; Transfer; Appropriation

Description:

Transfers school impact fees from the Kalihi-Ala Moana school impact district to the School Impact Fees subaccount of the School Facilities Special Fund for the acquisition and renovation of one or more buildings in the downtown Honolulu area to develop and expand pre-kindergarten and charter school capacity.

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