STAND. COM. REP. NO. 68-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2172

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2172 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT OF RETIRANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a five-year Critical Skills Retention Pilot Program within the Department of Education to authorize the rehiring of retired educators for hard-to-staff positions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education; Employees' Retirement System; and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that the State has been facing a shortage in teachers and educational officers for positions in hard-to-staff geographic regions and specialized subject areas under the Department of Education, making it very challenging to provide a quality education for Hawaii's students. Your Committee believes that retirants are an asset that can be used to take on difficult-to-fill positions and positions in teacher shortage areas.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that no retirant participating in the Critical Skills Retention Pilot program shall have been employed by the State or a county during the twelve calendar months, rather than six calendar months, prior to the first day of reemployment;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2172, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2172, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair