STAND. COM. REP. NO. 495-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2564

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. 2564 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Provide funding to the State Public Charter School Commission for rental or lease of facilities under legislative appropriations and bond authorizations to the state public charter school commission for the design, planning, construction, repair, and maintenance of public charter school improvements; and

(2) Appropriate funds for infrastructure costs, rental or lease assistance, and the repair and maintenance of network infrastructure for charter schools.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; State Public Charter School Commission; and six individuals.

Your Committee finds that facilities funding has been a long-standing issue for public charter schools in the State. Public charter schools that lack adequate building facilities are sometimes forced to hold classes outdoors, on covered lanais, or in unstable temporary structures. This measure seeks to address the inadequacies of facilities funding for charter schools by providing funding to the State Public Charter School Commission for distribution to public charter schools for infrastructure costs, the rental or lease of charter school facilities, and the repair and maintenance of network infrastructure for charter schools.

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. 2564, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2564, 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