STAND. COM. REP. NO. 505-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1811

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committees on Education and Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1811 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATOR STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish an Educator Student Loan Repayment Program, to be administered by the Department of Education, to provide for the repayment of qualified student loans for certain educators in the State.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission; Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; and seven individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and University of Hawaiʻi System.

Your Committees find that the State is experiencing a significant and persistent shortage of qualified public school educators, which undermines the quality of education for children in Hawaii and places immense strain on the public education system. Your Committees further find that state-funded student loan repayment programs, like the Hawaii Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program, have proven to be a successful tool for workforce recruitment and retention. Your Committees believe that the establishment of an Educator Student Loan Repayment Program will attract new educators while retaining those with experience in the State's public schools.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the disbursement of student loan repayments made by the Educator Student Loan Repayment Program to specify that one disbursement of $25,000 shall be made upon the completion of five consecutive years of full-time service by an educator in any public school in the State;

(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 records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1811, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1811, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Higher Education,

____________________________ ANDREW TAKUYA GARRETT, Chair

____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair