STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2107-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2125

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2125, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER LICENSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Allow the Department of Education to hire unlicensed individuals as teachers on an emergency basis for five, rather than three, years; and

(2) Require that unlicensed teachers hired on an emergency basis make continuous and verifiable progress toward satisfying licensing requirements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Executive Office on Early Learning; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; The Legal Clinic; Roots Reborn; Teacher Lounge; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making it effective upon its approval; and

(2) Inserting a sunset date of June 30, 2031.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2125, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2125, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair