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HB1496
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
1496
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to education
.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION 1.
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The legislature finds that Hawaii's public
school system, established in 1840 under the Hawaiian Kingdom's first
constitution, reflects the Hawaiian Kingdom's commitment to education.
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However, this trajectory was disrupted by the
1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom government and subsequent United States
occupation.
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The
legislature further finds that in 1896, the Republic of Hawaii passed Act 57,
Laws of the Republic of Hawaii 1896, mandating English as the sole medium of
instruction in public and private schools.
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This policy marginalized, the Hawaiian
language, disrupted its intergenerational transmission, and led to the Hawaiian
language's near extinction.
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By 1978, the
number of
ʻ
ōlelo
Hawaii speakers had dwindled to two thousand, from nearly forty thousand in
1896.
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Hawaiian as a medium of
instruction was excluded from public schools for ninety years until the law was
reversed in 1986, allowing Hawaiian as a medium of instruction.
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The amendments made in 1978 to the
Constitution of the State of Hawaii required the State to provide Hawaiian
education, including the study of Hawaiian language, culture, and history.
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In 1987, the board of education launched Kula
Kaiapuni, Hawaiian language immersion schools, marking a historic milestone in
revitalizing
ʻ
ōlelo
Hawaii.
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The
legislature also finds that in 2004, Hawaiian language immersion was codified
in the Hawaii Revised Statutes under chapter 302H, establishing Ka Papahana
Kaiapuni.
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This program provides
bicultural and bilingual education, emphasizing Hawaiian language, history, and
values.
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As of the 2024-2025 school year,
Kaiapuni programs serve over three thousand four hundred students at twenty-nine
public schools.
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Despite the
programs' successes, Kaiapuni programs face long-standing challenges, including
insufficient capacity, teacher shortages, inadequate facilities and curricula,
lack of special education services, inequities in busing and geographic
exemptions, and inconsistent administrative support.
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These issues hinder the programs' ability to
meet their goals, as outlined in board of education policy no. 105-8.
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The
legislature recognizes the importance of systemic support to ensure the growth
and success of Kaiapuni programs.
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Centralizing
administrative oversight under a dedicated complex area superintendent will
address these challenges and strengthen the programs' implementation.
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Furthermore,
the legislature finds that Native Hawaiians represent nearly twenty-four per
cent of the State's student population.
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To
fulfill its constitutional obligation to promote Hawaiian studies and language,
the State must ensure representation on the board of education.
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Proper representation can be obtained by
including a board of education member that is a Hawaiian educator, practitioner,
or scholar of Hawaiian studies or the Hawaiian language.
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The
purpose of this Act is to:
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(1)
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Establish the position of Ka Papahana Kaiapuni
program complex area superintendent;
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(2)
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Require that at least one at-large member of
the board of education be a Hawaiian educator, practitioner, or scholar of
Hawaiian studies or the Hawaiian language;
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(3)
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Clarify the purpose and objective of the
Hawaiian language medium education program; and
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(4)
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Appropriate funds for the establishment of:
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(A)
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The Ka Papahana Kaiapuni program complex area
superintendent; and
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(B)
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A secretary position to support the Ka
Papahana Kaiapuni program complex area superintendent.
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SECTION
2.
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Section 302A-101, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted
and to read as follows:
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"
"Ka
Papahana Kaiapuni" means any school or program providing a complete
education experience through the medium of the Hawaiian language.
"
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SECTION 3.
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Section
302A-121, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to
read as follows:
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"(a)
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The board shall consist of nine members as follows:
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(1)
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One member from the county of Hawaii;
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(2)
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One member from the county of Maui;
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(3)
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One member from the county of Kauai;
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(4)
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Three members from the city and county
of Honolulu; and
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(5)
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Three at-large members; provided that
the governor shall select an at-large member as the chairperson.
The members
shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate.
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Of the at-large members
appointed pursuant to paragraph (5), at least one member shall be
a
Hawaiian educator, practitioner, or scholar of Hawaiian studies or the Hawaiian
language
, who shall be selected
from a list of three nominees submitted by the
president
of the senate, speaker of the house of representatives, and office of Hawaiian
affairs
; provided that the president of the senate, speaker of the house of
representatives, and office of Hawaiian affairs shall each nominate one
Hawaiian immersion expert for selection.
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The governor may
remove or suspend for cause any member of the board
."
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SECTION 4.
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Section 302A-604, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as
follows:
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"
�302A-604
�
Complex area superintendents.
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The superintendent of education, with the
approval of the board, shall appoint complex area superintendents for schools[
.
]
,
including a complex area superintendent for Ka Papahana Kaiapuni schools.
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The complex area superintendents shall supervise
the delivery of administrative and instructional support services within their
respective complex areas, including:
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(1)
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Personnel, fiscal, and facilities
support;
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(2)
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Monitoring of compliance with
applicable state and federal laws;
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(3)
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Curriculum development, student
assessment, and staff development services; and
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(4)
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S
pecial education programs and special
schools within the complex area."
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SECTION 5.
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Section 302H-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
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"
[
[
]�302H-1[
]
]
�
Hawaiian language medium education program;
established.
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[
The Hawaiian language medium education
program may be established as a complete educational program or schooling
experience provided to students in the medium of the Hawaiian language.
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The educational objectives of this program
shall take into consideration how its content integrates with Hawaiian language
and culture curricula and Hawaiian language medium curricula offered at the
preschool and college levels, may be the same as the English language medium
program, and may fulfill unique Hawaiian language medium education program
goals.
]
The Hawaiian language medium education program shall provide a
complete educational experience through the Hawaiian language.
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The program's objectives shall integrate
Hawaiian language and culture curricula from preschool to college levels and
fulfill unique program goals.
"
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SECTION
6.
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There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $200,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to establish one
full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Ka Papahana Kaiapuni complex area superintendent
position within the department of education.
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The sums
appropriated shall be expended by the
department of education for the purposes of this Act.
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SECTION
7.
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There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $75,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to establish one
full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) secretary position to support the Ka Papahana
Kaiapuni complex area superintendent.
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The sums
appropriated shall be expended by the
department of education for the purposes of this Act.
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SECTION
8.
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Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
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New statutory
material is underscored.
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SECTION 9.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025;
provided that the new requirement established by this Act shall be fulfilled by
the individual appointed to fill the next at‑large member vacancy on the
board of education, whether the vacancy occurs before, on, or after the
effective date of this Act.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Ka
Papahana Kaiapuni; Hawaiian Medium Language Education; Board of Education;
Complex Area Superintendents; Appropriation
Description:
Establishes the position of Ka Papahana Kaiapuni Program Complex
Area Superintendent.
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Requires that at
least one at-large member of the Board of Education be a Hawaiian educator,
practitioner, or scholar of Hawaiian studies or the Hawaiian language, to be
selected from a list of three nominees submitted by the President of the
Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
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Clarifies the purpose and objective of the
Hawaiian Language Medium Education Program.
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Appropriates funds.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.