STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2230-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.C.R. No. 195

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.C.R. No. 195 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TO REVISE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS TO INCLUDE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A STANDALONE FINANCIAL LITERACY COURSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Board of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Education, to revise public high school graduation requirements to include successful completion of a standalone financial literacy course.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from HawaiiKidsCAN and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Education and Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that financial education is a lifelong learning process that empowers individuals to plan for their futures. Your Committee further finds that a rigorous, stand-alone financial literacy graduation requirement would best serve Hawaii's students by prioritizing applied, real-world financial skills and preventing financial literacy instructions from being lost when combined with other topics. Your Committee believes that including successful completion of a standalone financial literacy course as a requirement for graduation from public high schools in the State will help prepare students for financial independence through the development of fiscal responsibility and financial management skills.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the completion of a standalone financial literacy course as a high school graduation requirement be implemented beginning with the 2026-2027 school year;

(2) Requesting the Board of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Education, to collect and analyze data on the implementation of the standalone financial literacy course;

(3) Requesting the Board of Education to submit a progress update report on the implementation of the standalone financial literacy course to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2027, and a final report to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2028; and

(4) 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 195, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 195, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair