STAND. COM. REP. NO. 493-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2398

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. 2398 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LIBRARIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Clarify that the Board of Education, through the State Librarian, has exclusive authority over the development, use, support, and improvement and maintenance of public library system facilities;

(2) Authorize the Board of Education to delegate to the State Librarian exclusive control of certain land for development or expansion purposes, subject to legislative appropriation; and

(3) Require the Department of Education to expeditiously cooperate with the State Librarian and Hawaii State Public Library System to effectuate any project authorized by the Board of Education on certain lands.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawaiʻi State Public Library System and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Education; Department of Education; and Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that this measure will clarify that the Board of Education, through the State Library, has control over the properties where public libraries are located. This clarification will be especially helpful in determining responsibility over the management of land in which a public library is located over and near.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that if the Board of Education has a legally recognized interest in land on which the Board has approved development or expansion of a public library system facility, but the land is not exclusively under the jurisdiction of the public library system, then the Board may authorize the State Librarian to exercise exclusive control over that interest for development or expansion purposes;

(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 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. 2398, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2398, 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