RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO.

HB2617

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2617

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the university of hawaii at hilo
.

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

PART I

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that Act 315,
Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, mandated the establishment of a Hawaiian language
college at the university of Hawaii at Hilo.
�

The language college subsequently played a major role in developing the
Imiloa astronomy center to provide bilingual Hawaiian‑English science
education to the community.
�
The Imiloa
center provides outreach and science education from perspectives emanating from
Hawaii's distinctive local and indigenous culture and history.
�
Since its establishment, the Imiloa center
has worked with the college of Hawaiian language to produce a fully integrated
education program, including preschool, kindergarten to grade twelve, a
baccalaureate degree, a teacher certification program, a master's degree, and a
doctoral program.
�
The Imiloa center's
educational programs also include direct outreach to the general public using
both technology and in-person learning.
�

It is the only fully integrated bilingual education program of its kind
in Hawaii.

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The
legislature further finds that the bilingual work of the college of Hawaiian
language and Imiloa center is especially important to the State, because the
State has two official languages.
�
The
State's schools offer both an English-language-medium education pathway and a
Hawaiian-language-medium education pathway from infant and toddler programs to
doctoral degrees.
�
Act 46, Session Laws
of Hawaii 2020, appropriated moneys to the Imiloa center and college of
Hawaiian language to help establish a pathway for the development of
Hawaiian-language-medium early education.
�

The college of Hawaiian language developed an early education
certificate taught entirely in the Hawaiian language and based on Hawaiian
grounded, scientifically researched concepts of childhood development and
cognitive development.
�
Imiloa center has
also provided educational outreach to the State's students using innovative
approaches and unique delivery methods that help advance Hawaii's goal of
expanding Hawaiian-language-medium early education within the State.

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The
legislature recognizes that the Imiloa center identifies Hawaiian language
proficiency development as a bottleneck in the development of
Hawaiian-language-medium early education teachers.
�
The United States Foreign Service estimates
that Hawaiian-language proficiency requires approximately one thousand one
hundred hours of study. This amount is much more than the standard number of
hours currently allocated to Hawaiian language in most degree programs outside
of the degree programs at the college of Hawaiian language.
�
Standard models for learning a second
language and the limited scheduling of Hawaiian language courses in the State's
high schools and universities both present challenges to the development of
Hawaiian-language-medium early education teachers who are proficient in
Hawaiian.

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The
legislature believes that implementing an institute model for Hawaiian
education at the university of Hawaii at Hilo would allow the Imiloa center's
year-round scheduling flexibility to extend to the college of Hawaiian language
and would give the center and college greater opportunities to develop Hawaiian
language proficiency and Hawaiian-language-medium early education sites and
programs.

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The
legislature also recognizes that the university of Hawaii at Hilo leads the federally
designated National Native American Language Resource Center.
�
This role gives the Imiloa center and college
of Hawaiian language unique access to offer coursework, training,
consultations, materials, and other services to federal agencies, other states,
tribal nations, and mainland communities.
�

Therefore, the development of an institute of indigenous education at
the university of Hawaii at Hilo is a matter of both national and statewide
concern.

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The
legislature believes that implementing an institute model for Hawaiian language
education at the university of Hawaii at Hilo is crucial to the development of
a Hawaiian-language-medium early education pathway and would help reduce the
State's significant shortage of Hawaiian-language-medium education teachers.
�
It would also expand the reach of the college
of Hawaiian language and Imiloa center to help address the State's and
individual communities' Hawaiian language needs.
�
The institute would also serve as a model for
language education for other indigenous and marginalized groups, demonstrating
how to offer high-quality education from a distinctive language base.

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Accordingly,
the purpose of this part is to establish an institute of indigenous education,
science, and outreach within the university of Hawaii at Hilo through a
collaboration between the university of Hawaii at Hilo Imiloa astronomy center
and university of Hawaii at Hilo college of Hawaiian language.
�
The institute shall operate as a distinct
unit within the university of Hawaii with flexibility as it relates to
scheduling, outreach, and functionality.

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SECTION
2.
�
Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding a new subpart to part IV to be appropriately
designated and to read as follows:

" .

�
Institute of Indigenous Education,
Science, and Outreach

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�
304A-
�
Institute of indigenous education, science,
and outreach; established.
�
There is
established the institute of indigenous education, science, and outreach.
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The institute shall be placed within the university
of Hawaii at Hilo through a collaboration between the university of Hawaii at
Hilo Imiloa astronomy center and university of Hawaii at Hilo college of
Hawaiian language; provided that the institute shall have flexibility as it
relates to scheduling, outreach, and functionality; provided further that the
institute may establish appropriate fees for its services and products.

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�
304-
�
Functions.
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The institute of indigenous education, science, and outreach shall:

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(1)
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Develop and strengthen the Hawaiian language
education pathway, from infant and toddler education programs through doctoral
degree programs, in cooperation with partners like Aha Punana Leo, Inc.;

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(2)
�
Provide language education services to other
indigenous language and autochthonous language groups, including Native
American tribal nations;

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(3)
�
Provide outreach to Hawaiians, and other
former residents with distinctive ties to the State, who now live outside
Hawaii; and

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(4)
�
Provide outreach to scientific institutions,
museums, educational organizations, governmental entities, and others regarding
indigenous community engagement and the importance of representation for
indigenous peoples, languages, and cultures.

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�
304A-
�
Patents, copyrights, inventions, discoveries,
and other rights.
�
Any patents,
copyrights, inventions, discoveries, or other rights arising from activities of
the institute of indigenous education, science, and outreach shall belong to
the institute and shall be subject to policies or rules adopted by the board of
regents."

PART II

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SECTION
3.
�
The purpose of this part is to:

����
(1)
�
Authorize the Hawaiian language college
revolving fund to receive moneys from any revenue source and be used to support
the university of Hawaii at Hilo Imiloa astronomy center;

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(2)
�
Require the Hawaiian early learning trust fund
to be used for the Hawaiian-language-medium education pathway; and

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(3)
�
Prohibit the university of Hawaii from
limiting the amount of revenue deposited into either fund and establish a cap
on individual deposits into both funds.

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SECTION
4.
�
Section 304A-2270, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"
[
[
]�304A-2270[
]
]
�
Hawaiian language college revolving fund.
�
(a)
�
There is
established the Hawaiian language college revolving fund into which revenues
from [
the sale of Hawaiian language materials
]
any source, including
training and personal development, evaluation services, sale of products,
translation services, and consultation,
shall be deposited.
�
Moneys deposited into this fund shall be
expended to support the Hawaiian language college at the University of Hawaii
at Hilo established under section [
[
]304A-1301[
].
]
and the
Imiloa astronomy center of Hawaii.

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(b)
�
The amount of revenue deposited into the fund
shall not be limited by the university of Hawaii; provided that the total of
any individual deposit shall not exceed $499,999.
"

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SECTION 5.
�
Section 304A-2356, Hawaii Revised Statutes,
is amended to read as follows:

����
"
[
[
]
�304A-2356[
]
]
�
Hawaiian early learning trust fund.
�
(a)
�
There is established the Hawaiian early
learning trust fund, into which shall be deposited:

����
(1)
�
Donations
to the fund;

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(2)
�
Appropriations
made by the legislature to the fund;

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(3)
�
Revenues
regardless of their source; and

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(4)
�
Earnings on moneys
in the fund.

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(b)
�

The
university of Hawaii at Hilo
shall expend moneys in the trust fund for purposes of [
Hawaiian
early learning.
]
the Hawaiian-language-medium education pathway,
including support for the university of Hawaii at Hilo's Imiloa center and the college
of Hawaiian language.

����
(c)
�

The university of Hawaii shall submit an annual report to the
legislature, no later than August 31, on the sources of moneys deposited into
the fund and expenditures of moneys from the fund.

����
(d)
�
The amount of revenue deposited into the fund
shall not be limited by the university of Hawaii; provided that the total of
any individual deposit shall not exceed $499,999.
"

PART III

����
SECTION
6.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

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SECTION 7.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

UH Hilo;
College of Hawaiian Language; Institute of Indigenous Education, Science, and
Outreach; Imiloa Astronomy Center; Hawaiian Language; Hawaiian Early Learning;
Revolving Fund; Trust Fund; Uses

Description:

Establishes
the Institute of Indigenous Education, Science, and Outreach within the
University of Hawaii at Hilo.
�
Authorizes
the Hawaiian Language College Revolving Fund to include moneys from any revenue
source and requires expenditures in the fund to be used to support the Imiloa Astronomy
Center.
�
Requires the Hawaiian Early
Learning Trust Fund to support the Hawaiian-Language-Medium Education Pathway.
�
Establishes a cap on individual deposits into
the Hawaiian Language College Revolving Fund and the Hawaiian Early Learning
Trust Fund.

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