KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Senator Donna Mercado Kim, Chair |
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Senator Michelle N. Kidani, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 |
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TIME: |
1:30 PM |
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PLACE: |
Conference Room 229 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
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TIMESLOT: |
EDU |
PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL
BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY
The Legislature is accepting written, videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.
A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.
A G E N D A
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RELATING TO EDUCATION. Requires the Department of Education to establish a one-year Student-Authored Book Publication Pilot Program for fifth graders at Kalihi public elementary schools. Requires a report to the legislature. Appropriates funds.
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO INDIVIDUAL SPORTS. Authorizes homeschooled, high school-aged students to participate as unattached competitors in individual sports available to the public high school that the student would otherwise be required to attend.
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO EDUCATION. Clarifies that public charter school teachers are eligible for incentives under the Teacher National Board Certification Incentive Program.
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO CIVIC EDUCATION. Establishes a Civic Education Grant Program to provide support to public middle and intermediate schools in providing civic education to students through department approved programming. Establishes a Civic Education Trust Fund.
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. Establishes the Board of Education Internal Audit Office to conduct program and fiscal evaluations of the Department of Education's key strategic initiatives to identify program improvements and provide other benefits. Requires the Board of Education to establish a standing committee with a scope that includes audit-related responsibilities. Prohibits the Department of Education from expending FY 2026-2027 appropriated moneys for certain auditor, evaluation specialist, and related positions and expenses. Appropriates moneys.
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO SCHOOLS. Includes weekends and holidays as times where a reasonable warning or request to leave school premises is not required for a person to commit the offense of criminal trespass in the first degree. Specifies that, for the offense of criminal trespass in the first degree, a reasonable warning or request to leave school premises includes a written lifetime prohibition against the person entering the premises.
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EDU, JDC |
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Decision Making to follow, if time permits.
All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.
Please go to the Legislature's website, https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the "Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony, you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.
Please note the following:
· The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify orally.
· Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 1:00 minute each.
If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a direct link to the instructions: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf
For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.
For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email EDUcommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.
For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored. If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 808-587-7200.
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_____________________________________ Senator Donna Mercado Kim Chair |
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