RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING.

Budget Education

Active

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

Sponsor: NAKAMURA, AMATO, BELATTI, CHUN, COCHRAN, EVSLIN, GARRETT, GRANDINETTI, HASHEM, HOLT, HUSSEY, ICHIYAMA, ILAGAN, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, KITAGAWA, KONG, KUSCH, LA CHICA, LAMOSAO, LEE, M., LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, OLDS, PERRUSO, POEPOE, QUINLAN, SAYAMA, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TAM, TARNAS, TEMPLO, TODD, WOODSON, YAMASHITA
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill takes effect on July 1, 2050, not 2025 as stated in the candidate explanation.

Funding for Public Preschool Education

This bill provides funding to hire teachers and assistants, buy equipment, and cover services for public preschools in Hawaii.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates funds to hire twenty-five full-time equivalent pre-school teacher positions for the first year.
Funds twenty-five full-time equivalent educational assistant III positions for the first year.
Allocates money for classroom supplies, transportation, subscriptions, and other expenses in the first year.
Increases funding for fifty full-time equivalent pre-school teachers and assistants in the second year.

Who It Names or Affects

Public preschools across Hawaii
Teachers and teacher assistants working at these schools

Terms To Know

FTE: Full-Time Equivalent, a way to measure staffing needs.
Appropriation: Money set aside by the government for specific uses.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill takes effect on July 1, 2050.
It is not clear how many additional preschool classrooms will be created with this funding.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment appropriates funds to hire teachers and teacher assistants and provide equipment and services for public preschools in Hawaii.

Appropriates money for hiring full-time equivalent (FTE) pre-school teachers, educational assistant III positions, twelve-month state office teacher positions, substitute teachers, classroom supplies, intra-state transportation, subscriptions, miscellaneous current expenses, furniture and furnishings, and reference books for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
Specifies that the funds will be used by the Department of Education to improve staffing and resources in public preschools.

The exact dollar amounts for each category are not specified, making it unclear how much funding is allocated to each area.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) appears incorrect and likely needs correction.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment appropriates funds to hire teachers and teacher assistants and provide equipment and services for public preschools in Hawaii.

Appropriates money for hiring full-time equivalent pre-school teachers, educational assistant III positions, twelve-month state office teacher positions, substitute teachers, classroom supplies, intra-state transportation, subscriptions, miscellaneous current expenses, furniture and furnishings, and reference books for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
Specifies that the funds will be used by the Department of Education to improve public preschools.

The exact dollar amounts for each category are not specified in the amendment text provided, making it unclear how much funding is allocated to each area.

Bill History

2026-04-02 S
Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
2026-04-01 H
House Conferee(s) discharged.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-04-15 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 732).
2025-04-14 H
House Conferees Appointed: Woodson, Morikawa Co-Chairs; Amato, La Chica, Muraoka.
2025-04-04 S
Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 451).
2025-04-03 H
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
2025-04-02 H
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 476) in amended form (SD 1).
2025-04-02 S
Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 23; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 2 (Senator(s) DeCorte, Ihara). Transmitted to House.
2025-04-01 S
One Day Notice 04-02-25.
2025-04-01 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1472) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading.
2025-03-28 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 11 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Wakai; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C., Fevella.
2025-03-25 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-28-25 10:02AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2025-03-19 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2025-03-19 S
Reported from EDU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1160) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2025-03-12 S
The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDU were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kidani, Kim, Hashimoto, Kanuha, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-03-07 S
The committee(s) on EDU has scheduled a public hearing on 03-12-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2025-03-04 S
Referred to EDU, WAM.
2025-02-28 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-02-28 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 17).
2025-02-27 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-27 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 849), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-20 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Alcos, Ward.
2025-02-18 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Thursday, 02-20-25 10:00AM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-11 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 Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-02-11 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 338) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-02-04 H
The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 11 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Sayama, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Tuesday, 02-04-25 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to EDN, FIN, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING.
Department of Education; Executive Office on Early Learning; Public Preschools; Teachers; Teacher Assistants; Equipment; Services; Appropriations ($)
Appropriates funds to hire teachers and teacher assistants and for equipment and services for public preschools. Takes effect 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB429

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

429

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to early learning
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that the cost of
childcare is a significant contributor to the high cost of living in
Hawaii.
�
Many working families with young
children or those considering having children cannot afford, or must save
significantly to afford, a typical monthly childcare expense.

����
The legislature further finds that
increasing access to free public preschool education will help working families
in the State prepare their children for kindergarten, which would then
dramatically improve the child's academic success and ultimate career
opportunities.
�
However, preschools
across the State are facing staffing shortages, especially for teachers and
teacher assistants in preschool classrooms.
�

Additional services and equipment are also needed to provide a rich
classroom environment for Hawaii's young children to learn.

����
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act
is to appropriate funds to:

����
(1)
�
Hire teachers and teacher assistants to staff
public preschools; and

����
(2)
�
For the purchase of equipment and services for
public preschools.

����
SECTION
2.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $5,027,927 or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and $8,236,302 or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the executive office
on early learning; provided that the funds allocated shall be used as follows:

����
(1)
�
For fiscal year 2025-2026:

���������
(A)
�
$1,706,525 for twenty-five full-time
equivalent (25.0 FTE) pre-school teacher positions;

���������
(B)
�
$1,175,100 for twenty-five full-time
equivalent (25.0 FTE) educational assistant III positions;

���������
(C)
�
$787,552 for eight full-time equivalent (8.0 FTE)
twelve-month state office teacher positions;

���������
(D)
�
$48,750 for substitute teachers;

���������
(E)
�
$200,000 for classroom supplies;

���������
(F)
�
$175,000 for intra-state transportation;

���������
(G)
�
$45,000 for subscriptions;

���������
(H)
�
$45,000 for other miscellaneous current
expenses;

���������
(I)
�
$825,000 for furniture and furnishings; and

���������
(J)
�
$20,000 for reference books; and

����
(2)
�
For fiscal year 2026-2027:

���������
(A)
�
$3,413,050 for fifty full-time equivalent (50.0 FTE)
pre-school teacher positions;

���������
(B)
�
$2,350,200 for fifty full-time equivalent (50.0 FTE)
educational assistant III positions;

���������
(C)
�
$787,552 for eight full-time equivalent (8.0 FTE)
twelve-month state office teacher positions;

���������
(D)
�
$97,500 for substitute teachers;

���������
(E)
�
$400,000 for classroom supplies;

���������
(F)
�
$225,000 for intra-state transportation;

���������
(G)
�
$55,000 for subscriptions;

���������
(H)
�
$63,000 for other miscellaneous current
expenses;

���������
(I)
�
$825,000 for furniture and furnishings; and

���������
(J)
�
$20,000 for reference books.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the department
of education for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Education; Executive Office on Early Learning; Public Preschools; Teachers;
Teacher Assistants; Equipment; Services; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates
funds
to hire teachers and teacher assistants and for equipment and
services for public preschools.

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