STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3651

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1891

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1891, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to support a proactive and systemic approach to achieving high literacy rates for all Hawaii students.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires all public schools to:

(A) Administer a universal screening for dyslexia as part of the established universal screening process; and

(B) Implement evidenced-based interventions for students identified as having dyslexia or flagged as having language literacy challenges; and

(2) Requires the Department of Education to:

(A) Provide professional development for teachers to increase the implementation of structured literacy instruction; and

(B) Incorporate structured learning literacy instruction in pre-service teacher programs.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, Special Education Advisory Council, Teach for America Hawaii, Aloha Independent Living Hawaii, Dyslexia Advocacy Academy, The Reading League Hawaii, HawaiiKidsCAN, African American Diversity Cultural Center Hawaii, Hawaii State Literacy Coalition, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Education works toward high literacy rates for all students by administering universal screenings at certain grade-levels to identify students at risk for reading failure. However, your Committee recognizes that these universal screenings do not identify all students who may have underlying language challenges that impact learning. Your Committee believes that by mandating the incorporation of dyslexia sensitive, linguistically appropriate universal screenings and the implementation of evidenced-based intervention for identified students, this measure will improve instructional quality and help students with diverse learning challenges succeed.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1891, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair