STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2220

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2872

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2872 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RETIRED EDUCATION EMPLOYEES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require retirants rehired as teachers or administrators in shortage areas or in difficult-to-fill positions to be paid the entry level salary for the teacher or administrator position as negotiated in the collective bargaining unit contract;

(2) Prohibit rehired retirants from receiving additional employment benefits; and

(3) Require the Department of Education to adopt rules.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, and one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Employees' Retirement System, and Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association.

Your Committees find that the State is facing a chronic educator shortage that threatens the stability and quality of the educational system. Shortages identified by the Department of Education in rural and underserved areas are especially severe and harmful to students' educations. Retired teachers are uniquely suited to fill the educator gap due to their experience, institutional knowledge, and expertise. This measure facilitates the rehiring of retired educators to support access to high‑quality education for local students.

Your Committees note that the educator shortage is a persistent, systemic issue that often affects classrooms beyond identified teacher shortage areas or difficult-to-fill positions. Meaningfully addressing the shortage requires innovative solutions that afford schools greater flexibility to fill gaps.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Amending language in existing law to clarify that a retirant may be employed without reenrollment in the Employees' Retirement System or suffering a loss or interruption of benefits if the retirant is employed as a teacher or an administrator in any Department of Education school or in a charter school;

(2) Specifying that only retirants hired after June 30, 2026, shall be:

(A) Required to be paid the entry level salary for the teacher or administrator position as negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement; and

(B) Prohibited from receiving additional employment benefits;

(3) Inserting a savings clause; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Labor and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2872, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2872, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Labor and Technology,

________________________________ BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE, Chair

________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair