CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 149-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2344

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2344, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a temporary, independent Public School Realignment and Closure Commission to make recommendations for school consolidations, realignments, and closures based on the federal Base Realignment and Closure model;

(2) Establish a process by which the Governor, then Legislature, may approve or disapprove of the recommendations in its entirety, without amendment; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the operational costs of the Commission.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the membership of the Public School Realignment and Closure Commission (Commission);

(2) Including additional criteria to be used in evaluating public school facilities for potential consolidation, realignment, or closure;

(3) Specifying that any data submitted to the Commission necessary to conduct its evaluation include any existing reports, data, and analyses from the Department of Education regarding ongoing school consolidation efforts;

(4) Requiring the Commission to formally consult with the Board of Education during the development of the criteria and the evaluation of public school facilities to ensure educational priorities are considered;

(5) Deleting language that would have:

(A) Required the Commission to prepare and submit to the Legislature and Governor a final report containing a single, comprehensive list of recommendations for the consolidation, realignment, or closure of specific public school; and

(B) Established a process by which the Governor and Legislature would approve the Commission's report for the consolidation, realignment, or closure of specific public schools;

(6) Inserting language establishing a process for the Commission to:

(A) Prepare a preliminary report containing its proposed recommendations for the consolidation, realignment, or closure of specific public schools and conduct public hearings on the preliminary report; and

(B) Issue a final report and comprehensive list of recommendations, which may include a timeline for phased consolidations, realignments, or closures, to be filed with the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Board of Education no later than October 1, 2028, to become final and binding with no further approval required by the Governor, Legislature, or Board of Education;

(7) Requiring the Board of Education and Department of Education to:

(A) Take all necessary actions to implement the Commission's binding recommendations no later than October 1, 2029; and

(B) Cooperate with the Commission and supply the Commission with any relevant information requested by the Commission;

(8) Specifying that the Commission shall cease to exist on June 30, 2029;

(9) Inserting an appropriation amount of $150,000 for the operational costs of the Commission;

(10) Changing the effective date to July 31, 2026; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2344, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2344, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM Chair	____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON Co-Chair
____________________________ TROY N. HASHIMOTO Co-Chair	____________________________ KYLE T. YAMASHITA Co-Chair