STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3383

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1893

H.D. 2

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 Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1893, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Clarify that public charter school teachers are eligible for incentives under the Teacher National Board Certification Incentive Program; and

(2) Increase the bonuses per year for each public school teacher and public charter school teacher who maintains current national board certification.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board, Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association, Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School, and fifty-four individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that currently, only six charter school teachers are National Board Certified, compared to three hundred Department of Education teachers. This disparity negatively impacts learning outcomes for charter school students, as National Board Certification is the most impactful, cost-effective accreditation teachers can earn, with studies demonstrating that children learning under a National Board Certified teacher gain one to two months of additional learning per school year compared to peers taught by non-certified teachers. This measure will clarify eligibility to promote educational equity and superior learning outcomes for children in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Restoring existing statutory language that provides a $5,000 bonus for National Board Certified teachers and $5,000 additional bonus for National Board Certified teachers who teach at certain schools; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 31, 2055, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1893, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1893, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair