RELATING TO TEACHER COMPENSATION.

Education

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: REYES ODA, GARCIA, GRANDINETTI, IWAMOTO, KUSCH, MATSUMOTO, PERRUSO, PIERICK, WARD
Last action: 2026-02-12
Official status: The committee(s) on LAB recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effective date is July 1, 2025, but it has been deferred and may not become law immediately.

Teacher Pay Based on Experience

This bill changes how new or returning teachers are paid, giving them a salary rating based on their total years of teaching experience.

What This Bill Does

Teachers entering or reentering the Department of Education will receive a salary rating equal to that of incumbent teachers with similar experience.

Who It Names or Affects

Teachers entering or reentering the Department of Education
The Department of Education

Terms To Know

Salary Rating: A system used to determine how much a teacher is paid based on their experience and qualifications.

Limits and Unknowns

Teachers who served in the military can use up to four years of service as teaching experience.
The bill does not specify when it will become law since it has been deferred by a committee.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment updates the rules for teacher salary ratings to ensure that teachers entering or reentering service receive equal pay based on their prior teaching experience, including military service.

Teachers with more than one year of teaching experience will have their salary rating match those of incumbent teachers with similar years of experience.
Military service can be counted as teaching experience, up to four years maximum.

The amendment specifies that the changes take effect on July 1, 3000, which seems unusual and may indicate a placeholder date or error.

Bill History

2026-02-12 H
The committee(s) on LAB recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
2026-02-10 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Thursday, 02-12-26 9:30AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-06 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on LAB with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Ward excused (1).
2025-02-06 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 189) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to LAB.
2025-02-04 H
The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 11 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Sayama, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Tuesday, 02-04-25 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-27 H
Referred to EDN, LAB, FIN, referral sheet 4
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-22 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO TEACHER COMPENSATION.
DOE; Teacher Compensation; Salary Ratings; Teacher Retention
Recognizes prior teaching experience at an equal salary rating for teachers entering or reentering into the service of the Department of Education. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1202

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1202

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO TEACHER COMPENSATION
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section
302A-627, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"
�302A-627
�
Salary ratings of
entering or reentering teachers;
[
Credit
]
credit
for military
service.
�
(a)
�
Any teacher with more than one year of
teaching experience, and so accredited by the department, entering or
reentering the service of the department shall have the teacher's salary rating
determined by the personnel executive of the department, any other law to the
contrary notwithstanding, so that the salary rating shall be equal to the
salary ratings held by incumbent teachers in the department with the identical
number of years of experience.
�
The
department shall recognize prior teaching experience, whether in the State or
otherwise, at an equivalent rate to incumbent teachers in the department.
�
The department shall not limit the number of
years of prior teaching experience that will be recognized under this
paragraph.

����
(b)
�
Any teacher who
served on active duty with the armed forces of the United States shall be given
credit by the department for the teacher's military service in the
determination of the teacher's salary, the teacher's eligibility for leaves of
absence, and for all other purposes of seniority.
�
Both reentering and entering teachers shall
have each year of their military service or six months thereof credited as a
year of teaching experience; provided that no more than four years of credit
for military service shall be allowed.
�

Evidence of military service shall be by certificate."

����
SECTION 3.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOE;
Teacher Compensation; Salary Ratings; Teacher Retention

Description:

Promotes teacher
retention by recognizing prior teaching experience at an equal salary rating for
entering or reentering teachers into the Department of Education.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.