STAND. COM. REP. NO. 74-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2534

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. 2534 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ROBOTICS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Education to establish robotics as an interscholastic sport.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that robotics education provides hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning that improves critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills among students. Your Committee further finds that the State has embraced robotics technology as both an educational and a competitive platform. However, since 2009, numerous Hawaii high school robotics teams have become defunct due to insufficient resources and a lack of mentors. Your Committee believes that providing funds to establish robotics as an interscholastic sport will ensure that Hawaii's students receive high quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and are better prepared to enter the State's technology workforce.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) 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. 2534, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2534, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Economic Development & Technology.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair