RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Budget Education Labor

Active

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

Sponsor: TAKENOUCHI
Last action: 2026-03-12
Official status: Referred to EDU, WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details about the amount of funding or exact distribution among schools.

Extending Librarian Pilot Program

This bill extends a pilot program that brings librarians to schools in Hawaii until 2030, allowing the Department of Education to pick another school on Oahu if no suitable neighbor island school is found.

What This Bill Does

Stretches the Librarian Pilot Program until 2030.
Allows the Department of Education to pick another school complex on Oahu if no suitable neighbor island school complex can be identified.
Appropriates funds for two full-time librarians, one each for a school complex in Oahu and a neighbor island (or an additional Oahu school if needed).
Requires yearly reports about the program's effectiveness.

Who It Names or Affects

Students at schools involved in the Librarian Pilot Program.
Librarians hired to work with the pilot program.
The Department of Education, which manages and funds the program.

Terms To Know

Pilot Program: A small-scale test run of a new idea or service before it is fully implemented.
FTE (Full-Time Equivalent): A way to measure the workload of an employee, showing how many full-time jobs their work equals.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify which schools will be chosen for the program.
It is unclear if and when the pilot project might become a permanent part of education in Hawaii after 2030.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment extends the Librarian Pilot Program from two years to five years, allowing it to run until June 30, 2030.

Changes the duration of the pilot program from two years to five years.
Updates reporting requirements for the legislature to include reports in 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030.
Allows the Department of Education to choose an additional school complex on Oahu if no suitable neighbor island school can be found.

The amendment text specifies a future effective date of July 1, 3000, which seems incorrect and may need clarification or correction.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment extends the Librarian Pilot Program from two years to five years, allowing it to run until June 30, 2030.

Extends the pilot program for certified librarians from two years to five years.
Adds a requirement for annual reports to be submitted to the legislature starting in 2026 and continuing through 2030.
Changes the date when the pilot program will cease to exist from June 30, 2027, to June 30, 2030.

The amendment text does not specify how the funds for fiscal year 2026-2027 will be appropriated.
It is unclear why the effective date of this Act is set for July 1, 3000, which seems to be an error or placeholder.

Bill History

2026-03-12 S
Referred to EDU, WAM.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 339).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kong, Pierick excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1038-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-03 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. 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, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 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.
2026-02-19 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-19 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 518-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-17 H
The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Garrett.
2026-02-13 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Tuesday, 02-17-26 2:00PM 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 EDUCATION.
Department of Education; Librarian Pilot Program; Education; Appropriation ($)
Extends the Librarian Pilot Program established by Act 135, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, through 2030. Authorizes the Department of Education to select a second school complex on Oahu to be part of the pilot program if no appropriate school complex on the neighbor islands can be identified. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2004

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2004

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.
�
Act 135, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025,
is amended by amending sections 2 and 3 to read as follows:

����
"SECTION
2.
�
(a)
�

There is established within the department of education a [
two-year
]

five-year
pilot program for two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) certified
librarians to provide rotating support services to one school complex on Oahu
and one school complex on a neighbor island.
�

The department of education shall determine which school complexes shall
be part of the pilot program[
.
]
; provided that if an appropriate
school complex on a neighbor island cannot be identified, the department shall
identify an additional school complex on the island of Oahu to be part of the
pilot program.

����
(b)
�
The department of education shall submit a
report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of
the regular sessions of 2026 [
and
]
,
2027[
.
]
, 2028,
2029, and 2030.
�
Each report shall
include findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, about
the pilot project established pursuant to subsection (a).
�
The report submitted prior to the convening
of the regular session of [
2027
]
2030
shall make a recommendation
as to whether the pilot project should be extended.

����
(c)
�
The pilot program shall cease to exist on
June 30, [
2027.
]
2030.

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $132,308 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 for the establishment of
two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) twelve-month state office-level teacher
positions under the department of education for the pilot program established
pursuant to section 2 of this Act; provided that the funds appropriated shall
be allocated as follows:

����
(1)
�
$66,154 for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE)
twelve‑month state office-level teacher position, to be filled by a
certified librarian, for a school complex on Oahu; and

����
(2)
�
$66,154
for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) twelve‑month state office-level
teacher position, to be filled by a certified librarian, for a school complex
on a neighbor island[
.
]
or, if no appropriate school complex on a
neighbor island can be identified, a school complex on Oahu.

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

����
SECTION
2.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Education; Librarian Pilot Program; Education; Appropriation

Description:

Extends
the Librarian Pilot Program established by Act 135, Session Laws of Hawaii
2025, through 2030.
�
Authorizes the
Department of Education to select a second school complex on Oahu to be part of
the pilot program if no appropriate school complex on the neighbor islands can
be identified.

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