HB625 • 2026

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Budget Education

Active

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

Sponsor: WOODSON, AMATO, GARRETT, GRANDINETTI, KAPELA, KITAGAWA, LA CHICA, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MIYAKE, PERRUSO, PIERICK, POEPOE, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAKENOUCHI, TAM, TARNAS
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on how many school psychologists will be eligible for incentives or the exact amount of funding appropriated.

Education Act: School Psychologist Incentive Program

This bill establishes an incentive program to encourage school psychologists in Hawaii to earn national certification, offering bonuses and fee reimbursements.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a nationally certified school psychologist incentive program within the Department of Education.
Provides a $5,000 annual bonus for each school psychologist who maintains their national certification.
Offers up to $500 upon completing all components of the Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential.
Reimburses the remaining application fee once the credential is achieved.
Gives an additional $5,000 annual bonus to psychologists working in hard-to-fill areas.

Who It Names or Affects

School psychologists who earn and maintain national certification.
The Department of Education which will manage the incentive program.

Terms To Know

Nationally Certified School Psychologist: A credential given by the National Association of School Psychologists to school psychologists who meet certain standards.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how many school psychologists will be eligible for these incentives.
It is unclear what qualifies as a 'hard-to-fill area' within the Department's definition.
The exact amount of funding appropriated has not been specified in the summary.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment establishes an incentive program to reward school psychologists who earn national certification with bonuses and fee reimbursements, and allocates funds for the program.

Adds a new section in Chapter 302A of Hawaii Revised Statutes to create an incentive program for nationally certified school psychologists.
Provides annual bonuses and reimbursement for certification fees to eligible school psychologists.
Appropriates funding from general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to support the incentive program.

The specific dollar amounts for bonuses and fee reimbursements are not provided in the amendment text.
The effective date of July 1, 3000 is noted but seems unusual and may be a placeholder or error.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-05 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-02-05 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 175) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.
2025-01-30 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, Kila, Olds, Sayama, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Kapela.
2025-01-28 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Thursday, 01-30-25 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to EDN, CPC, 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.
Department of Education; School Psychologists; Nationally Certified School Psychologist Incentive Program; Appropriation ($)
Establishes a nationally certified school psychologist incentive program. Appropriates funds for the incentive program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB625

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

625

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

����
"
�302A-
�
Nationally certified school psychologist;
incentive program.
�
(a)
�
There
is established within the department a nationally certified school psychologist
incentive program to recognize and support exemplary educational practice by offering
incentive payments to school psychologists who earn the Nationally Certified
School Psychologist credential from the National Association of School
Psychologists.
�
The nationally certified
school psychologist incentive program shall provide:

����
(1)
�
A $5,000 bonus
per year to each nationally certified school psychologist who maintains a
current national certification;

����
(2)
�
Up to
$500,
depending on the certification fee structure, upon completing all components of
the Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential;

����
(3)
�
A reimbursement
of the remainder of the national certification application fee upon achievement
of the Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential; and

����
(4)
�
An additional
$5,000 bonus per year to each school psychologist employed by the department
who maintains a current Nationally Certified School Psychologist certificate
and provides school psychology services to children in a hard-to-fill area as
defined by the department.

����
(b)
�
The department may adopt rules pursuant to
chapter 91 necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.
"

����
SECTION
2.
�
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 offer incentive
pay for the nationally certified school psychologist incentive program
established pursuant to section 1 of this Act.

����
The sums

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

����
SECTION
3.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Education; School Psychologists; Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Incentive Program; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes
a nationally certified school psychologist incentive program.
�
Appropriates funds for the incentive program.

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