HB627 • 2026

RELATING TO SCHOOL SAFETY.

Budget Education Labor Taxes Technology

Active

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

Sponsor: WOODSON, AMATO, CHUN, COCHRAN, GARCIA, GARRETT, HOLT, KAHALOA, KITAGAWA, LAMOSAO, LEE, M., LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MATSUMOTO, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, POEPOE, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TARNAS, TODD, WARD
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on specific safety measures to be implemented by the hired staff, leaving this information uncertain.

School Safety Funding

This bill provides funding for the Department of Education to hire staff who will help keep schools safe by implementing and maintaining safety measures.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates $15,800,000 from state funds to the Department of Education for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
Hires one full-time equivalent (FTE) targeted violence prevention and threat assessment program manager.
Hires another FTE fire safety and security technology program manager.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Education
Schools in Hawaii

Terms To Know

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent): A measure used to represent the workload of an employee, equivalent to a full-time job.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much funding will be provided beyond fiscal year 2026-2027.
It is unclear what specific safety measures the new positions will implement or maintain.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allocates funding to the Department of Education for two full-time positions focused on school safety measures.

Appropriates funds from state general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to hire a targeted violence prevention and threat assessment program manager and a fire safety and security technology program manager.

The exact amount of funding appropriated is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) appears to be incorrect or a placeholder and needs clarification.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
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. 27).
2025-02-27 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Iwamoto 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. 851), 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. 342) 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 SCHOOL SAFETY.
DOE; School Safety, Positions; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds to the Department of Education for positions to implement and maintain school safety measures. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB627

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

627

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to school safety
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that state
funding for school security is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of
students, teachers, and staff.
�
By
investing in security measures, the State can create safer learning
environments that promote academic achievement and reduce anxiety.
�
Ultimately, state funding for school security
is a proactive step to protect our schools and ensure that students can focus
on learning without fear.

����
The
legislature further finds that funding is critically needed for school safety
measures, including active threat response training, hazardous material
disposal contracts, school safety equipment, threat assessment and reporting,
and fire safety.

����
The department
of education requires the following positions to implement and maintain school
safety measures:

����
(1)
�
Targeted violence prevention and threat
assessment program manager, who will:

���������
(A)
�
Create and execute the statewide behavior
threat assessment and management framework to align with the Hawaii targeted
violence prevention strategy and implementation plan and to establish
guidelines, protocols, and procedures across all schools; and

���������
(B)
�
Liaison with the office of homeland security,
university of Hawaii, threat team Hawaii, forensic psychology experts, and
other organizations; and

����
(2)
�
Fire safety and security technology program
manager, who will:

���������
(A)
�
Be responsible for planning, executing, and
delivering fire safety and security technological initiatives and programs
across the department;

���������
(B)
�
Ensure schools meet fire safety standards to pass
annual fire safety inspections; and

���������
(C)
�
Assist schools with the installation and
maintenance of their fire alarm systems.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of education for
positions to implement and maintain school safety measures.

����
SECTION
2.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $15,800,000 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 for the following
positions to implement and maintain school safety measures:

����
(1)
�
One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) targeted
violence prevention and threat assessment program manager; and

����
(2)
�
One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) fire safety
and security technology program manager.

����
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:

DOE;
School Safety, Positions; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to the Department of Education for
positions to implement and maintain school safety measures.

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