HB2168 • 2026

RELATING TO THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

Education Housing Parental Rights

Active

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

Sponsor: OLDS, ALCOS, AMATO, BELATTI, COCHRAN, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, HUSSEY, ILAGAN, IWAMOTO, KILA, KITAGAWA, KUSCH, LEE, M., LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, POEPOE, QUINLAN, REYES ODA, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TAM, TARNAS, TEMPLO, WOODSON
Last action: 2026-03-10
Official status: Referred to EDU, WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on the implementation timeline or funding allocation for the program.

Supporting Homeless Students in Education

This bill requires the Department of Education to establish a program that supports homeless students by providing immediate enrollment, access to educational programs, and assistance through designated coordinator and navigator positions.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a new program within the Department of Education for supporting homeless students.
Designates a state coordinator position responsible for overseeing the program.
Establishes navigator positions in each district to assist homeless students in various areas such as outreach, early learning, reengagement, transportation, and general support.
Ensures that homeless students can enroll in school immediately without necessary documentation like birth certificates or immunization records.
Requires the Department of Education to adopt rules under chapter 91 for implementing this program.

Who It Names or Affects

Students experiencing homelessness
Department of Education

Terms To Know

Student experiencing homelessness: A student who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including those sharing housing due to economic hardship or living in motels, shelters, or similar settings.
Unaccompanied youth: A homeless student not under the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how funding will be allocated for this program.
It is unclear when and how the Department of Education will adopt rules to implement the program as required by section (j).

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the Department of Education to establish a program that supports students experiencing homelessness, including designating a state coordinator and navigators in various roles.

The Department of Education must create a program to identify, enroll, and support homeless students.
A state coordinator will be appointed to oversee the program and provide training and assistance.
State navigator positions will be established for outreach, early learning, reengagement, transportation, Compact of Free Association, and general support roles.
Each school complex area must designate a liaison to coordinate with navigators and service providers.

The effective date mentioned (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect or possibly a placeholder and is not explained further in the text.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: The amendment requires the Department of Education to establish a program that supports students experiencing homelessness, including immediate enrollment and transportation assistance.

Establishes a program within the Department of Education to identify, enroll, and support homeless students.
Designates a state coordinator for students experiencing homelessness who will oversee training and interagency coordination.
Ensures immediate enrollment regardless of documentation issues, with provisional attendance if necessary.
Provides appropriate transportation assistance for homeless students.

The amendment text is truncated at the end, so some details about specific provisions may be incomplete or unclear.

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. 190).
2026-03-06 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso, Sayama excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 946-26), 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, 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.
2026-02-20 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka, Pierick voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-02-20 H
Reported from HSH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 605-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.
2026-02-17 H
The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Marten, Olds, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Amato, Hartsfield.
2026-02-12 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH on Tuesday, 02-17-26 9:30AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-10 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on HSH with Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-09 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 77-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to HSH.
2026-02-05 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, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Muraoka; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-03 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Thursday, 02-05-26 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-30 H
Referred to EDN, HSH, FIN, referral sheet 5
2026-01-28 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-26 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
DOE; Education; Student Services; Students Experiencing Homelessness; Program
Requires the Department of Education to establish a program for the support of students experiencing homelessness. Requires the Department to designate a state coordinator position and state navigator positions to implement the program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2168

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2168

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the education of students experiencing homelessness
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that
children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence
face significant barriers to enrollment, attendance, and academic success.
�
The education of Hawaii's keiki
is a fundamental responsibility of the department of education.
�
As the number of families and students
experiencing homelessness in the State continues to rise, it is essential that
students facing housing instability are provided with the access and support
necessary to obtain a quality education and achieve long-term success.

����
Under
existing federal law, students experiencing homelessness are afforded specific
rights and protections designed to remove barriers to enrollment and
participation in school, including immediate enrollment regardless of
documentation, full inclusion in academic and extracurricular activities,
access to free meals and basic school supplies, and transportation when
required to maintain educational stability.
�

In light of ongoing uncertainty at the federal level and the potential
for changes to funding or statutory protections, the legislature finds it
prudent to protect these rights, benefits, and privileges in the State to
ensure their continuity regardless of future federal action.

����
The purpose of
this Act is to ensure educational stability and access for students
experiencing homelessness by requiring the department of education to establish
a program that protects their rights, benefits, and protections, regardless of
future changes to federal law or funding.

����
SECTION 2.
�
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:

����
"
�302A-
�
Students
experiencing homelessness; program; coordinator; established.
�
(a)
�
The
department shall establish a program to identify, enroll, and support students
who are experiencing homelessness.

����
(b)
�

The department shall designate a district coordinator for students
experiencing homelessness who shall oversee the program, provide training and
assistance, and coordinate interagency and community partnerships.

����
(c)
�

The department shall establish navigator positions within the district in
the following roles or areas that shall operate under the direction and
supervision of the coordinator:

����
(1)
�
Outreach;

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(2)
�
Early learning;

����
(3)
�
Reengagement;

����
(4)
�
Transportation;

����
(5)
�
Compact of free association; and

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(6)
�
General support.

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(d)
�
Each department complex area shall designate
a liaison who shall be responsible for carrying out the program in the complex
area and coordinating with the respective navigators, administrators, and
services providers.

����
(e)
�
The program shall ensure that students experiencing
homelessness, including unaccompanied youth, have access to attend the school
in their service area, regardless of necessary documentation, including birth
certificates, immunization records, guardianship records, or school records.

����
(f)
�
The program shall ensure that students
experiencing homelessness have appropriate transportation to and from their
school according to rules adopted pursuant to section 302A-406.

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(g)
�
The coordinator shall ensure that students
experiencing homelessness have access to all available educational programs and
services.

����
(h)
�
The coordinator shall provide training for
administrators, counselors, teachers, and staff regarding the implementation of
the program.

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(i)
�
The department shall implement the program in
this section with available federal funds.

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(j)
�
The department shall adopt rules pursuant to
chapter 91 for the purposes of this section.

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(k)
�
As used in this section:

����
"Coordinator" means the
designated district coordinator for students experiencing homelessness.

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"Student experiencing
homelessness" means a student who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence, including a student who:

����
(1)
�
Shares housing
with others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;

����
(2)
�
Lives in
motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative
adequate accommodations;

����
(3)
�
Lives in
emergency or transitional shelters;

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(4)
�
Has a primary
nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or
ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;

����
(5)
�
Lives in cars,
parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or
similar settings; or

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(6)
�
Is a migratory
child living in circumstances described above.

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"Unaccompanied youth"
means a student experiencing homelessness who is not in the physical custody of
a parent or legal guardian.
"

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SECTION
3.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOE;
Education; Student Services; Students Experiencing Homelessness; Program

Description:

Requires
the department of education to establish a program for the support of students
experiencing homelessness.
�
Requires the
department to designate a coordinator position and navigator positions to
implement the program.

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