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Hawaii2026Enacted

HB2344

Creating a Temporary Commission to Review School Facilities

Last scannedAug 24, 2026, 11:30 PM

In one sentence

This law creates a short-term group of experts to study public schools and recommend which ones should close or combine, using a fast approval process.

What it does

  • Creates a temporary Public School Realignment and Closure Commission with nine members appointed by the governor, Senate president, and House speaker.
  • Requires the commission to set rules for reviewing schools based on student numbers, building conditions, costs, capacity, proximity of other schools, property reuse potential, and fairness.
  • Mandates that the commission submit one final list of school changes to the governor and legislature by October 1, 2027.
  • Sets a rule where leaders must vote yes or no on the entire plan without making changes to it.
  • Orders the Board of Education and Department of Education to carry out approved closures or consolidations by July 1, 2028.

Who it affects

  • The Public School Realignment and Closure Commission members
  • The Governor and state Legislature
  • The Board of Education and Department of Education
  • Public schools in Hawaii

Limits and unknowns

  • The law does not list specific schools that will close; the commission must decide this based on data.
  • If the governor rejects both the original and revised reports by January 1, 2028, the process ends with no changes made.

Plain language

Terms to know

Realignment
Changing how students are assigned to different school buildings or grades.
Consolidation
Combining two or more schools into one location.
Up-or-down vote
A rule requiring voters to accept a whole plan as is, without changing any parts of it.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill textStored full record

Official summary

RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES. Governor; Department of Accounting and General Services; Department of Education; Public School Realignment and Closure Commission; Reports; Appropriation ($) Establishes a temporary, independent Public School Realignment and Closure Commission to develop and recommend a comprehensive package of school consolidations, realignments, and closures based on the federal Base Realignment and Closure model. Requires reports to the Legislature. Requires an expedited approval process for the recommended school consolidations, realignments, and closures. Appropriates funds. (CD1)

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Act 264, on 07/15/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1367).H
  2. Act 264, 07/15/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1367).S
  3. Notice of intent to veto (Gov. Msg. No. 1264)H
  4. Notice of Intent to veto dated 06/26/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1264)S
  5. Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 888).S
  6. Transmitted to Governor.H
  7. Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 816).H
  8. Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Iwamoto voting no (1) and none excused (0).H
  9. Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fukunaga. Noes, 1 (Senator(s) Elefante). Excused, 0 (none).S
  10. 48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-06-26S
  11. Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 149-26).S
  12. Forty-eight (48) hours notice Wednesday, 05-06-26.H
  13. Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 149-26) as amended in (CD 1).H
  14. The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 2 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Hashimoto; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) DeCorte.S
  15. The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, Yamashita, La Chica, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.H
  16. Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 05-01-26 4:00PM in conference room 229.H
  17. Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 05-01-26 1:30PM in conference room 229.H
  18. Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-30-26 1:34PM; Conference Room 229.S
  19. Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 725).H
  20. Senate Conferees Appointed: Kim Chair; Hashimoto Co-Chair; DeCorte.S

Changes

Amendments

4 stored

CD1

This amendment creates a temporary nine-member commission to study Hawaii's public schools and recommend which ones should be closed or combined based on data like enrollment numbers and building conditions.

HD1

This amendment creates a temporary nine-member independent commission to review Hawaii's public schools and recommend which ones should close or combine based on data rather than political pressure.

SD1

This amendment creates a temporary nine-member commission to review Hawaii's public schools and recommend which ones should be closed or combined based on data like enrollment costs.

SD2

This amendment creates a temporary nine-member commission to study Hawaii's public schools and recommend which ones should be closed or combined based on data like enrollment costs.