STAND. COM. REP. NO. 72-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2427

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. 2427 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO UNACCOMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Entitle unaccompanied homeless youth, including runaway youth, with the rights, as provided by the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, to immediate enrollment in school, full participation in school activities, and access to comparable school and educational services provided to other students; and

(2) Establish a student-centered, safety-first protocol for unaccompanied homeless youth enrolling in or attending school.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 (McKinney-Vento Act) is the primary federal law that ensures educational access and stability for children and youth experiencing homelessness. The McKinney-Vento Act is intended to remove barriers that arise as a result of housing instability. This measure aligns the Department of Education's policies with the McKinney-Vento Act.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment 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. 2427, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2427, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair