HB1997 • 2026

RELATING TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

Education

Active

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

Sponsor: TAKENOUCHI, AMATO, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, MARTEN, OLDS, TAKAYAMA
Last action: 2026-02-20
Official status: Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify whether Section 504 Plans are included in this bill's scope beyond mentioning them generally.

Helping Students with Disabilities in Emergencies

This bill allows schools to include special help plans for students with disabilities during emergencies, like evacuations.

What This Bill Does

Allows individualized education programs (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans to have parts that talk about how to help students with disabilities in emergency situations.
Requires the Department of Education to give guidance on how schools can support these special plans during emergencies.

Who It Names or Affects

Students with disabilities in public schools
School staff who work on IEPs and Section 504 Plans

Terms To Know

Individualized Education Program (IEP): A plan for students with disabilities that outlines their special education needs.
Section 504 Plan: A plan to help students with disabilities who do not qualify for an IEP but still need extra support in school.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not apply to students enrolled in nonpublic special education schools or programs.
It is unclear how the guidance from the Department of Education will be implemented and if it will cover all types of disabilities.
The effective date for this act is set far into the future (July 1, 3000), which may indicate a placeholder until an actual implementation date is decided.

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 schools to include specific plans in students' education programs that help them during emergencies, like evacuations.

Schools can now add emergency accommodations for students with disabilities in their individualized education programs (IEPs).
The Department of Education must provide guidance on how to create these emergency plans.
Schools need to decide if a student needs special help during emergencies when making the IEP.

It is unclear why the effective date is set for July 1, 3000, which seems far into the future and may be an error or placeholder.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment allows individualized education programs (IEPs) and section 504 plans to include specific accommodations and supports for students with disabilities during emergencies and evacuations.

Adds a new section in Hawaii Revised Statutes that permits IEPs and Section 504 plans to contain provisions addressing individualized accommodations and support needed by the student during emergency situations or evacuations.
Requires public schools to provide necessary support for teams developing these emergency-related provisions.
Directs the Department of Education to offer guidance on how to consider specific accommodations and supports for students with disabilities, especially those with mobility impairments, in emergencies.

The effective date is set very far into the future (July 1, 3000), which seems unusual and may indicate a placeholder or error.
It does not specify how schools will implement these provisions or what kind of support they must provide.

Bill History

2026-02-20 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-02-20 H
Reported from PBS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 604-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to JHA.
2026-02-18 H
The committee on PBS recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Belatti, Iwamoto, Hashem, Ichiyama, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-13 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by PBS on Wednesday, 02-18-26 10:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-12 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on PBS with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-12 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 205-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to PBS.
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, PBS, JHA, referral sheet 3
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
DOE; IDEA; IEP; Section 504 Plans; Students with Disabilities; Emergency Situations; Evacuation Plans
Authorizes the inclusion of provisions addressing individualized accommodations and supports during emergency situations and evacuations in individualized education programs and section 504 plans for students with disabilities. Requires support and guidance from the Department of Education. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1997

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1997

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating
to Students with Disabilities
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
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:

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"
�302A-
��
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Students
with disabilities; individualized education programs; evacuation plans.
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(a)
�
If deemed appropriate by the student's individualized
education program team, the individualized education program implemented for a
public school student with a disability pursuant to the federal Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act, title 20 United States Code section 1400
et
seq
., may contain language addressing individualized accommodations and
supports required by the student during an emergency situation or evacuation;
provided that this section shall not apply to students with disabilities
enrolled in a nonpublic special education school or program pursuant to section
302A-443.5.

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(b)
�
In developing the individualized accommodation
and support language under subsection (a), the school's educational officers
shall provide support to the applicable individualized education program team,
as necessary.

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(c)
�
During the development of an initial
individualized education program for a student with a disability, the
individualized education program team shall determine whether the student would
require individualized accommodations or supports during an emergency situation
or evacuation.

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(d)
�
The department shall provide guidance to
department schools explaining how to support individualized education program
teams in the teams' consideration of specific accommodations and supports the
schools may provide for students with disabilities, including students with
mobility impairments, during emergency situations.
�
Any provided accommodations and supports
shall take into account the unique context of a student's disability in the
educational setting.
"

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SECTION 2.
�

New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 3.
�

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

HDOE;
IDEA; IEP; Students with Disabilities; Emergency Situations; Evacuation Plans

Description:

Authorizes
the inclusion of language addressing individualized accommodations and supports
during emergency situations and evacuations in individualized education
programs for students with disabilities.
�

Requires support and guidance from 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.