STAND. COM. REP. NO. 76-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1888

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. 1888 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SAFETY OF EDUCATIONAL WORKERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Education and public charter schools to take certain steps to report incidents of harassment and implement procedures for handling harassment of educational workers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Education; State Public Charter School Commission; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that this measure recognizes the importance of safeguarding educational workers who may encounter instances of harassment, which may interfere with their ability to provide optimal delivery of educational services to Hawaii's students and families. This measure is a step toward maintaining a secure and supportive learning environment for educators and students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing public schools and public charter schools to determine if an educational worker is required to work or perform tasks when the educational worker is being subjected to harassment;

(2) Requiring the Department of Education and public charter schools to provide assistance to educational workers through their respective legal advocates in obtaining a temporary restraining order;

(3) Appropriating funds to the Department of Education and State Public Charter School Commission to each establish one full-time equivalent legal advocate position;

(4) Inserting the substantive contents of H.B. No. 1895, which:

(A) Includes the disruption or interference with the administration or functions of any school, school administration office, or school board in the offense of harassment; and

(B) Elevates the penalty for harassment to a misdemeanor when the recipient is an educational worker;

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

(6) 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. 1888, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1888, 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