RELATING TO CLIMATE EDUCATION.

Budget Education

Active

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

Sponsor: PERRUSO, AMATO, GRANDINETTI, HARTSFIELD, HASHEM, KAPELA, KUSCH, LOWEN, MARTEN, MORIKAWA, POEPOE, REYES ODA, SOUZA, TAM, TARNAS, TEMPLO, TODD
Last action: 2026-03-10
Official status: Referred to EDU, WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effective date is July 1, 2026, which was not mentioned in the candidate explanation.

Climate Education Program

This bill requires the Department of Education to establish a climate literacy certificate program that teaches high school students about climate change through academic coursework and hands-on learning.

What This Bill Does

Authorizes the Department of Education to create a climate literacy certificate program for high school students.
Requires completion of at least two approved courses with climate literacy standards as part of the program.
Needs students to finish an experiential learning project as part of the program.
Issues certificates to students who successfully complete the program.
Asks the Department of Education to report on the progress and results of the program.

Who It Names or Affects

High school students in Hawaii
The Department of Education

Terms To Know

Climate literacy certificate program: A special education program that teaches high school students about climate change through academic coursework and hands-on learning.
Experiential learning project: A real-world project where students learn by doing, such as a science experiment or community service related to the environment.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much money will be given for this program.
It is unclear when exactly the Department of Education will start implementing the program after it becomes law.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allows the Department of Education to create a climate literacy certificate program for high school students, which includes academic courses and experiential learning projects.

The Department of Education can now establish a climate literacy certificate program for high school students.
Students must complete at least two approved climate literacy courses and an experiential learning project to earn the certificate.
The department will report on the courses and certificates issued.

The exact funding amount is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date of July 1, 3000, seems incorrect or possibly a placeholder for future implementation.

Bill History

2026-03-10 S
Referred to EDU, WAM.
2026-03-10 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-10 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 167).
2026-03-06 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Kong, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (5) and Representative(s) Perruso, Sayama excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 956-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-03 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Alcos; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-27 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Tuesday, 03-03-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-17 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with Representative(s) Alcos voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (3) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lee, M., Poepoe excused (3).
2026-02-17 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 315-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-10 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.
2026-02-06 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Tuesday, 02-10-26 2:15PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to EDN, FIN, referral sheet 3
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO CLIMATE EDUCATION.
Education; Climate Change; Climate Literacy Certificate Program; Appropriation ($)
Authorizes the Department of Education to establish a climate literacy certificate program to provide students with an advanced understanding of climate change through academic coursework and hands-on learning. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1925

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1925

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to climate education
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that in response to the
growing threat of climate change, the State has set standards and launched
initiatives to expand reliance on sustainable and efficient energy, including
setting a statewide benchmark of generating one hundred per cent of the State's
electricity through renewable resources by 2045 and establishing a goal for
statewide greenhouse gas emissions to be at least fifty per cent below 2005
levels by 2030.

����
The legislature further finds that

climate change education is necessary to ensure that the next generation are
climate leaders.
�
In 2024, Colorado
enacted a law to award a seal of climate literacy diploma endorsement to
students who complete certain courses and an experiential learning project.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to require the department of education to establish a
climate literacy certificate program to provide students with an advanced
understanding of climate change through academic coursework and hands-on
learning.

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

����
"
�302A-
�
Climate
literacy certificate program.
�
(a)
�

The department shall establish a climate literacy certificate program to
prepare high school students in addressing the economic and social impacts of
climate change.

����
(b)
�

The department shall:

����
(1)
�
Establish
program requirements and approved courses that include the completion of:

���������
(A)
�
At
least two approved courses with climate literacy standards; and

���������
(B)
�
An
experiential learning project;

����
(2)
�
Issue a
certificate of completion to every student upon satisfactory completion of the
program; and

����
(3)
�
Submit to the
board and the legislature a report on the approved courses and data on the
issuance of program certificates.

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

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of
$ or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the establishment of
the climate literacy certificate program.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes
of this Act.

����
SECTION
4.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Education;
Climate Change; Climate Literacy Certificate Program; Appropriation

Description:

Requires
the Department of Education to establish a climate literacy certificate program
to provide students with an advanced understanding of climate change through
academic coursework and hands-on learning.

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