RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Budget Education Labor

Active

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

Sponsor: WOODSON, AMATO, GRANDINETTI, HOLT, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KILA, LA CHICA, MARTEN, MORIKAWA, PERRUSO, POEPOE, REYES ODA, TAM, TARNAS, TODD
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact amount of extra pay for ELL educators is not specified in the official source material.

Education Act: Pay Incentives for English Language Learner Educators

This bill requires the state to provide extra pay to educators who teach English language learners as a way to attract and keep these teachers.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Education (DOE) to give additional pay to teachers who work directly with students learning English as their second language.
Specifies that teachers must have a valid license or meet equivalent requirements set by the DOE to qualify for extra pay.
Funds this extra pay from state money for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
Requires a memorandum of understanding between the superintendent of education and teachers' union before releasing funds.

Who It Names or Affects

English language learner educators who teach students learning English as their second language.
The Department of Education (DOE) which will manage the extra pay program for these educators.

Terms To Know

Differential Pay: Extra money given to employees in addition to their regular salary, often as an incentive or reward.
English Language Learner (ELL) Educators: Teachers who specialize in teaching English to students whose primary language is not English.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact amount of extra pay for ELL educators.
It is unclear how many teachers will qualify and benefit from this program.
The effective date of July 1, 3000, seems to be a placeholder or error.

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 state to provide extra pay to educators who teach English language learners, aiming to attract and keep more qualified teachers in these roles.

Adds a new section to Hawaii Revised Statutes that mandates differential pay for English learner educators based on their qualifications.
Specifies that the amount of the pay differential will be determined by the department but does not provide an exact figure.
Appropriates funds from general revenues to cover these salary differentials for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

The specific amount of the pay differential is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) appears to be an error or placeholder and does not reflect a realistic implementation timeline.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
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. 339) 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 EDUCATION.
Education; DOE; English Language Learner Educators; Differential Pay; Appropriation ($)
Requires and appropriates funds to pay salary differentials to English language educators as an incentive to attract and retain these educators. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB621

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

621

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to education
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that there is a
critical shortage of qualified English language learner educators in the
State.
�
This shortage has a detrimental
impact on the education of students whose primary language is not English.
�
To address this shortage and improve student
outcomes, it is necessary to develop incentives to attract and retain qualified
educators for the English language learner program to ensure that English language
learners receive the support they need to succeed academically and reach their
full potential.
�
Providing a pay
differential to English language learner educators is a proven strategy to
incentivize skilled professionals to enter and remain in the profession.

����
The purpose of this Act is to require
and fund pay differentials for English learner educators.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

����
"
�302A-
�
Differential
pay for English learner educators.
�
(a)
�
Notwithstanding any other law to the
contrary, the department shall pay a differential to any educator who provides
direct services to English language learners and:

����
(1)
�
Holds a valid license
to teach English to speakers of other languages with an endorsement in teaching
English as a second language; or

����
(2)
�
Meets the
equivalent requirement as determined by the department.

����
(b)
�
The amount of the pay differential shall be
$ .
"

����
SECTION 3.
�
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 2025-2026 and the same sum or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to fund pay
differentials for English language educators.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for
the purposes of this Act; provided that the sums appropriated shall not be
released until a memorandum of understanding is executed between the
superintendent of education and the exclusive representative of collective
bargaining unit (5).

����
SECTION
4.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Education;
DOE; English Language Learner Educators; Differential Pay; Appropriation

Description:

Requires
and appropriates funds to pay salary differentials to English language
educators as an incentive to attract and retain these educators.
�
Appropriates funds.

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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.