STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1467-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2391

S.D. 2

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 Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2391, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide annual salary and longevity step increases for teachers at Department of Education and public charter schools who have completed a certain number of years of satisfactory service and complied with specified requirements, if negotiated into a collective bargaining agreement and subject to funds being appropriated by the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaiʻi System; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Office of Collective Bargaining. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that teachers in Hawaii face significant financial pressures due to the State's high cost of living, resulting in salaries that are among the lowest in the nation when adjusted for living expenses and contributing to persistent recruitment and retention challenges. Your Committee further finds that inconsistent salary progression and the absence of predictable step movement undermine workforce stability, exacerbate teacher attrition, and disrupt continuity of instruction for students across Department of Education schools and public charter schools. This measure supports a more stable and competitive educator workforce and promotes long‑term educational outcomes for Hawaii's students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2391, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2391, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

JACKSON D. SAYAMA, Chair