RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Education Healthcare Parental Rights

Active

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

Sponsor: MATAYOSHI, AMATO, EVSLIN, HUSSEY, ILAGAN, KILA, KUSCH, LOWEN, MARTEN, OLDS, PERRUSO, POEPOE, TARNAS
Last action: 2026-03-20
Official status: The committee on EDU deferred the measure.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes details that are not supported by the official source material.

Rules for Telecommunication Devices in Schools

This bill prohibits students from using telecommunication devices during school hours, with exceptions for educational use, medical needs, and emergencies.

What This Bill Does

Bans the use of telecommunication devices by students on school grounds during instructional time.
Allows teachers or administrators to confiscate a device if it is used without permission.
Requires parents or guardians to collect confiscated devices within three months.
States that unclaimed devices can be disposed of after three months.

Who It Names or Affects

Students in public schools
Teachers and school administrators

Terms To Know

Telecommunication device: Any electronic device that connects to the internet or a cellular network, such as cell phones, smart watches, tablets.
Instructional day: The entire school day including classes, lunch, recess, and transitions between activities.

Limits and Unknowns

It is unclear how schools will enforce the rule or handle exceptions.
The effective date of July 1, 3000 seems incorrect and likely needs correction.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment prohibits students from using telecommunication devices like cell phones during school hours, with exceptions for educational use, medical needs, emergencies, and legal accommodations.

Adds a new section to Hawaii Revised Statutes that restricts student use of telecommunication devices on school grounds during the instructional day starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
Allows exceptions for educational purposes with teacher or administrator permission, medical needs, emergencies, and legal accommodations under federal law.
Establishes a confiscation policy for students who violate this rule, requiring parents to retrieve confiscated devices within three months.

The amendment specifies an effective date of July 1, 3000, which seems incorrect or possibly a placeholder and is not explained further in the text.
Details on how schools will implement and enforce this policy are left to future rules by the Department of Education.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment prohibits students from using telecommunication devices during school hours, with exceptions for educational use, medical needs, emergencies, and legal accommodations.

Adds a new section to Hawaii Revised Statutes that restricts student use of telecommunication devices on school grounds during the instructional day starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
Establishes exceptions for device use when permitted by teachers or administrators, required for medical reasons, necessary during emergencies, or mandated by legal accommodations like IEPs and Section 504 plans.
Specifies that repeated violations will result in confiscation of the device and additional disciplinary actions.

The amendment text does not specify what kind of disciplinary action would be taken beyond confiscation, leaving this to school discretion.
It is unclear how schools will implement and enforce these rules uniformly across different districts.

Bill History

2026-03-20 S
The committee on EDU deferred the measure.
2026-03-17 S
The committee(s) on EDU has scheduled a public hearing on 03-20-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to EDU, JDC.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 244).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Souza voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Cochran, Iwamoto, Shimizu voting no (3) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1140-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-05 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Cochran, Shimizu; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Hashem, Sayama.
2026-03-03 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 03-05-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-20 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-02-20 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 695-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2026-02-19 H
The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-17 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Thursday, 02-19-26 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-26 H
Referred to EDN, JHA, referral sheet 1
2026-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-15 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO EDUCATION.
Department of Education; Telecommunication Devices; Prohibited
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)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1559

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1559

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to education
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that the State is
committed to maintaining high levels of education by ensuring that public
schools provide a safe, secure, and effective learning environment for
students.
�
However, the increased
presence and use of telecommunication devices during the school day have become
a significant distraction for students, leading to reduced attention and
diminished classroom engagement.

����
The legislature further finds that
numerous states have enacted statewide policies that restrict or prohibit
student use of cell phones and similar devices during the school day.
�
Certain states, including Louisiana, have
adopted policies limiting student cell phone use during the instructional day,
with exceptions for educational or authorized purposes, and that early reports
from school officials in those states indicate improvements in student focus,
attendance, and academic performance following implementation.
�
National surveys of public school leaders and
teachers indicate that a majority report negative impacts from student cell
phone use on mental health, attention spans, and educational outcomes.

����
The purpose of this Act is to
establish a uniform, statewide policy restricting student use of
telecommunication devices during the instructional day in public schools in
order to strengthen learning environments, support student mental and emotional
well-being, and improve academic outcomes for students throughout Hawaii.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part II, subpart C, to be appropriately
designated and to read as follows:

����
"
�302A-
�
Telecommunication
devices; prohibited.
�
(a)
�

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, except as provided in
subsection (b), no student in a public school shall use a telecommunication
device on school grounds during the instructional day.

����
(b)
�
A
telecommunication device may be used on school grounds during the instructional
day:

����
(1)
�
With the direct
permission of a teacher or school administrator for instructional or
educational purposes;

����
(2)
�
When the device
is required for documented medical purposes, including monitoring or managing a
medical condition; or

����
(3)
�
During a
schoolwide emergency, when use of a telecommunication device is necessary to
protect the health or safety of students or staff.

����
(c)
�
A student who violates this section within
the same school year shall be subject to the following:

����
(1)
�
Immediate confiscation
of the telecommunication device by a teacher or administrator; and

����
(2)
�
Additional
disciplinary action for subsequent violations.

����
(d)
�

A confiscated telecommunication device shall be stored by a teacher or
school administrator in a secure location.
�

Storage operations and policies shall be determined by each school.

����
(e)
�

A confiscated telecommunication device shall be released only to the
student's legal parent or guardian.
�
A
legal parent or guardian shall have no more than three months from the date of
confiscation to retrieve the telecommunication device.
�
During that three-month period, the school
shall provide the legal parent or guardian with at least three notifications
regarding retrieval of the telecommunication device.
�
A telecommunication device that is not
retrieved within three months from the date of confiscation shall be deemed
forfeited to the school and may be disposed of or repurposed.

����
(f)
�

No school, teacher, or school administrator shall be liable for the loss,
damage, or destruction of a confiscated telecommunication device; provided that
reasonable steps shall be taken to secure the device until it is retrieved by
the student's legal parent or guardian.

����
(g)
�
The department may adopt rules pursuant to
chapter 91 necessary for the purposes of this section.

����
(h)
�
For purposes of this section:

����
"Instructional day"
means the entire school day, including instructional periods, lunch, recess,
and transitions between classes.

����
"Telecommunication device"
means any electronic device capable of connecting to the Internet or a cellular
network and transmitting or receiving communications, including but not limited
to cellular phones, smart phones, smart watches, tablets, and other similar
devices.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Education; Telecommunication Devices; Prohibited

Description:

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 legal parent or guardian, who then has three months to retrieve
the device or subject the device to forfeiture.

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