STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1292-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2613

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 2613, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL LAND TRANSFER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Amend Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, which directed the conveyance of the fee simple interest in specified parcels owned by various public entities to the Department of Education, to revise tax map key numbers and the conveyance process by which identified properties are conveyed;

(2) Direct the conveyance to the County of Kauai and Hawaii State Public Library System of certain lands held by the Department of Education; and

(3) Clarify that land dispositions of school buildings, facilities, and grounds made by the Department of Education shall not require approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources when these dispositions are for periods exceeding one year.

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

Your Committee finds that Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022 (Act 307), established a framework for conveying certain state lands to the Department of Education for public school purposes. Your Committee further finds that, since the enactment of Act 307, technical clarifications are necessary to ensure its effective implementation. This measure revises tax map key references and clarifies the conveyance and disposition processes for identified public school properties, including specifying circumstances under which a disposition by the Department of Education does not require approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources. This measure further directs the transfer of specific lands owned by the Department of Education for public schools and school libraries to the County of Kauai and the Hawaii State Public Library System to reduce jurisdictional complexities and expedite land management projects.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Water & Land, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider the concerns raised by the Department of the Attorney General's testimony regarding the lack of statutory authority for the Hawaii State Public Library System to hold ownership of real property and any chain-of-title and recording issues for the affected parcels to be transferred from the Department of Education to the Hawaii State Public Library System.

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 S.B. No. 2613, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2613, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair