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: |
Friday, March 20, 2026 |
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TIME: |
1:00 PM |
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PLACE: |
Conference Room 229 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
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. Prohibits a student from using a telecommunication device on school grounds during the instructional day, with certain exceptions. Requires a confiscated telecommunication device to be released only to the student's parent or legal guardian, who has three months to retrieve the device before it is subject to forfeiture. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
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EDU, JDC |
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RELATING TO COMMUNITY LITERACY LABS. Establishes and appropriates funds for the Department of Education to establish and implement a two-year Community Literacy Labs Pilot Program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO EDUCATION. Updates Hawaii's statutory framework for adult and community education programs to ensure alignment with federal funding requirements and current best practices in those programs. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO TEACHER HOUSING. Establishes the Teacher Housing Assistance Program to provide housing vouchers to certain eligible teachers. Appropriates funds out of the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES. Requires the School Facilities Authority to establish geographically based capital improvement project districts for the localized management of deferred maintenance. Transfers all deferred maintenance functions, funds, and vacant facilities development branch positions from the Department of Education to the School Facilities Authority. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO LIBRARIES. Clarifies that the Board of Education, through the State Librarian, has exclusive authority over the development, use, support, and improvement and maintenance of public library system facilities. Allows the Board of Education to authorize the State Librarian to exercise exclusive control of certain land for development or expansion purposes, subject to legislative appropriation. Requires the Department of Education to expeditiously cooperate with the State Librarian and Hawaii State Public Library System to effectuate any project authorized by the Board of Education on certain lands. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO ROBOTICS. Appropriates funds to the Department of Education to establish robotics as an interscholastic sport. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO STUDENT MISCONDUCT. Requires public schools to report to the Department of Education any incident involving physical violence. Requires the Department of Education to collect and maintain data on incidents involving physical violence at public schools and make such data publicly available. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
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EDU, JDC |
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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