RELATING TO THE ʻŌLELO HAWAIʻI COMMISSION.

Budget

Active

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

Sponsor: HOLT, AMATO, GARCIA, GRANDINETTI, HUSSEY, ICHIYAMA, ILAGAN, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, KUSCH, LA CHICA, LEE, M., MARTEN, MATSUMOTO, MORIKAWA, OLDS, PERRUSO, POEPOE, REYES ODA, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TAM, TARNAS, TEMPLO
Last action: 2026-03-30
Official status: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading and referred to WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact amount of funding is not specified in the provided official source material.

Establishing the Hawaiian Language Commission

This bill establishes a commission to coordinate and promote initiatives that support the use of Hawaiian language, and provides funding for its operation.

What This Bill Does

Creates the 'Ōlelo Hawai'i Commission within the Office of the Governor.
Appropriates funds for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the establishment and operation of the commission.
Requires the commission to coordinate efforts by state, office, and counties to promote teaching and learning of Hawaiian language.
Encourages speaking of Hawaiian through campaigns, activities, and educational resources.
Supports private and public organizations in developing their own Hawaiian language plans.
Conducts research to support revitalization of Hawaiian language.

Who It Names or Affects

The Office of the Governor
Hawaiian Affairs Organizations
Educational Institutions in Hawaii

Terms To Know

'Ōlelo Hawai'i: The indigenous language of Hawaii and one of its official languages.
Commission: A group appointed to manage the 'Ōlelo Hawai'i Commission's activities.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much funding will be provided.
The commission is set to sunset on December 2, 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 establishes the 'Ōlelo Hawai'i Commission within the Office of the Governor to promote and coordinate efforts related to the Hawaiian language, with a budget appropriation and a sunset clause.

Establishes the 'Ōlelo Hawai'i Commission to support and promote the use of the Hawaiian language.
Appropriates funds for the commission's establishment and operation.
Requires the commission to submit an annual report detailing its activities and impact.

The exact amount of funding appropriated is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date July 1, 3000, appears to be a placeholder or error as it is far into the future; likely intended for an actual start date closer to the present.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Establishes a new chapter in Hawaii Revised Statutes for the 'Ōlelo Hawai'i Commission.
Defines key terms such as 'Commission' and 'ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi'.
Specifies that the commission will have certain members, including representatives from various educational institutions and organizations.
Outlines the powers and duties of the commission to promote and support the Hawaiian language.

The exact amount of funding appropriated for fiscal year 2026-2027 is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date July 1, 3000, appears to be an error or placeholder and needs clarification.

Bill History

2026-03-30 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading and referred to WAM.
2026-03-30 S
Reported from HWN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3381) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading and referral to WAM.
2026-03-24 S
The committee(s) on HWN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in HWN were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Richards, Lamosao, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Ihara, Keohokalole.
2026-03-17 S
The committee(s) on HWN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-24-26 2:05PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to HWN, WAM.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 346).
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. 1083-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-02-26 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; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-24 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Thursday, 02-26-26 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 JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 582-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-12 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Cochran, Hashem, Sayama, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Kahaloa.
2026-02-10 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 02-12-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to JHA, FIN, referral sheet 3
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE ʻŌLELO HAWAIʻI COMMISSION.
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Commission; Office of the Governor; Appropriation ($)
Establishes and appropriates funds for the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Commission to coordinate and promote initiatives that support the use of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. Sunsets 12/2/2030. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2046

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2046

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the
ʻ
Ōlelo
hawai
ʻ
i commission
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The Hawaii Revised Statutes is
amended by adding a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

"
Chapter

ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i Commission

����
� -1
�
Definitions.
�
For the purposes of this chapter:

����
"Commission" means the
ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i commission.

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"Office" means the office of the
governor.

����
"
ʻ
Ō
lelo
Hawai
ʻ
i" means the indigenous
language of Hawai
ʻ
i
and one of the official languages of the State.

����
� -2
�
ʻ
Ō
lelo
Hawai
ʻ
i
commission; established.
�
There is established the
ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i commission within the office on a temporary
basis for administrative and certain other special purposes.

����
� -3
�
ʻ
Ō
lelo
Hawai
ʻ
i
commission; membership.
�
The commission shall consist of the
following:

����
(1)
�
The chief executive officer of the office of
Hawaiian affairs or the officer's designee, who shall serve as chair of the
commission;

����
(2)
�
The chairs of the standing committees of the
legislature with subject matter jurisdiction encompassing Hawaiian affairs or
their designees; and

����
(3)
�
A representative from the office of Hawaiian
education of the department of education;

����
(4)
�
A representative from the Kawaihuelani center
for Hawaiian language at the university of Hawai
ʻ
i
at Mānoa;

����
(5)
�
A representative from the Ka Haka 'Ula O Ke
ʻ
elikōlani college
of Hawaiian language at the university of Hawai
ʻ
i
at Hilo; and

����
(6)
�
Other subject matter stakeholders as
recommended by the chair.

����
� -4
�
Powers and duties of the commission.
�
The
commission shall:

����
(1)
�
Coordinate efforts by the State, office, and counties,
to promote the teaching and learning of
ʻ
Ō
lelo
Hawai
ʻ
i
;

����
(2)
�
Encourage the speaking of
ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i through regular
campaigns, activities, and educational resources;

����
(3)
�
Support private and public organizations in
developing and evaluating their own
ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i language plans;

����
(4)
�
Conduct and commission research to support the
revitalization of
ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i; and

����
(5)
�
Ensure that
ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i remains a living
language by developing new words that reflect changing social and cultural
norms and contemporary language usage.

����
� -5
�
Annual report.
�
The commission
shall
submit an annual report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to
the convening of each regular session.
�

The report shall include:

����
(1)
�
A description of the activities conducted by
the commission; and

����
(2)
�
Any relevant data regarding the impact of the commission's
activities on the preservation and growth of
ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i usage."

����
SECTION
2.
�
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 and
operation of the
ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i commission.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the office of the governor for the purposes
of this Act.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

ʻ
Ōlelo
Hawai
ʻ
i Commission;
Office of the Governor; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes
and appropriates funds for the
ʻ
Ō
lelo Hawai
ʻ
i
Commission to coordinate and
promote initiatives that support the use of
ʻ
Ō
lelo
Hawai
ʻ
i
.

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