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HB206 • 2026

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE.

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE.

Education
Active

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

Sponsor
GARCIA, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KILA, PERRUSO, PIERICK, REYES ODA, WARD, Matsumoto
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific implementation details or resource requirements for schools.

Hawaiian Language Requirement in High Schools

This bill requires public high schools in Hawaii to make two full years of Hawaiian language courses a graduation requirement.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires each public high school in the State to require students to complete and pass two full years of Hawaiian language courses as a condition of graduation.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students attending public high schools in Hawaii
  • Public high schools in Hawaii

Terms To Know

Hawaiian language courses
Classes where students learn to speak, read, and write the Hawaiian language.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when the new graduation requirement will begin.
  • It is unclear how schools will implement this change or what resources they will need.
  • There are no details on how students who transfer to Hawaii after their freshman year would meet this requirement.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to EDN, FIN, referral sheet 1

  3. 2025-01-16 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  4. 2025-01-15 H

    Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE.
Hawaiian Language; Public High Schools; Graduation Requirement
Requires each public high school in the State to require students to complete and pass 2 full years of Hawaiian language courses as a condition of graduation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB206

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

206

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the hawaiian language
.

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 B, to be
appropriately designated and to read as follows:

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"
�302A-
��

��
Hawaiian language; high
school graduation requirement.
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Each public high school in the State shall
require students to complete and pass two full years of Hawaiian language
courses as a condition of graduation, beginning with the graduating class
of
������
.
"

����
SECTION
2.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Hawaiian
Language; Public High Schools; Graduation Requirement

Description:

Requires
each public high school in the State to require students to complete and pass 2
full years of Hawaiian language courses as a condition of graduation.

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