STAND. COM. REP. NO. 315-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1925

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. 1925 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CLIMATE EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Department of Education to establish a climate literacy certificate program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi State Youth Commission; Climate Future Forum; Our Children's Trust; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; 350Hawaii.org; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the State has set standards and launched initiatives to expand reliance on sustainable and efficient energy in response to the growing threat of climate change. Your Committee further finds that climate change education is necessary to ensure that the next generation are climate leaders. This measure will assist in growing those leaders by establishing a climate literacy certificate program to provide students with an advanced understanding of climate change through academic coursework and hands-on learning.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing, rather requiring, the Department of Education to establish a climate literacy certificate program;

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

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment 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. 1925, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1925, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair