HB628 • 2026

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Education

Active

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

Sponsor: WOODSON, BELATTI, COCHRAN, GARCIA, GRANDINETTI, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KITAGAWA, LOWEN, MARTEN, MATSUMOTO, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, OLDS, PERRUSO, PIERICK, POEPOE, QUINLAN, REYES ODA, 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 official summary and text do not provide specific details about the implementation timeline beyond the effective date of July 1, 3000.

High School Diplomas for Veterans and WWII, Korea, Vietnam War Impacted Students

This bill allows the Department of Education to give high school diplomas to individuals who missed their graduation due to military service or wartime interruptions during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War.

What This Bill Does

Authorizes the Department of Education to establish a program for awarding high school diplomas.
Qualifies individuals who were inducted into armed services and did not complete their education due to military service.
Includes those whose high school education was interrupted by wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War.
Requires applicants to provide information proving they meet eligibility criteria.

Who It Names or Affects

Veterans who missed high school graduation due to military service.
Individuals whose high school education was disrupted by wartime activities in Hawaii during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War.
The Department of Education which will manage the program.

Terms To Know

wartime practices: Activities that disrupt normal life due to war, such as evacuations, rationing, or military conscription.
armed services: The military branches of the United States government including Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how many people might be eligible or what resources will be provided for this program.
It is unclear when exactly the Department of Education would start implementing this program as it has an effective date far in the future (July 1, 3000).

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allows the Department of Education to award high school diplomas to veterans who missed their education due to military service during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War, and to those whose schooling was interrupted by wartime activities.

The Department of Education can now give high school diplomas to people who were in the military during specific war periods and did not finish high school because of their service.
People whose education was disrupted due to wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War are also eligible for a diploma.

The amendment specifies that the new program will take effect on July 1, 3000, which seems unusual and may be an error in the text.
Details about how to apply for the diplomas or what criteria are needed beyond residency and military service are not provided.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to EDU/PSM, WAM.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 261).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1102), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-26 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Alcos, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.
2025-02-26 H
Bill scheduled for decision making on Wednesday, 02-26-25 11:00AM in conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-25 H
The committee(s) on FIN recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-26-25.
2025-02-21 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Tuesday, 02-25-25 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-12 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Sayama, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-12 H
Reported from PBS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 454), recommending referral to FIN.
2025-02-07 H
The committee on PBS recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Belatti, Iwamoto, Lamosao, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Ichiyama.
2025-02-04 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by PBS on Friday, 02-07-25 9:30AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-03 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on PBS with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-02-03 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 42) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to PBS.
2025-01-28 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.
2025-01-24 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Tuesday, 01-28-25 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to EDN, PBS, 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.
Veterans; Armed Services; Wartime Practices; High School Diploma; DOE
Authorizes the Department of Education to establish a program to award high school diplomas to persons who did not receive a diploma as a result of compulsory or voluntary induction into the armed services and persons whose high school education was interrupted due to wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB628

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

628

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 Act 124,
Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, authorized the department of education to
continue, until June 30, 2020, awarding high school diplomas to veterans who
did not receive a high school diploma as a result of compulsory induction into
active service in the armed services or any person whose high school education
was interrupted due to wartime practices.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to authorize the department of education to award high
school diplomas to persons who did not receive a high school diploma as a
result of compulsory or voluntary induction into active service in the armed
services of the United States and any person whose high school education was
interrupted due to wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the
Vietnam War.

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

����
"
�302A-
�
High school diploma; armed services veterans;
persons impacted by wartime activities.
�
(a)
�
The department is authorized to establish a
program to award a high school diploma to any person who:

����
(1)
�
Was
a resident of the State or Territory of Hawaii;

����
(2)
�
While enrolled in a high school in the
State or Territory of Hawaii was compulsorily or voluntarily inducted into active
service in the armed services of the United States between:

���������
(A)
�
December 1, 1941, and August 30, 1945;

���������
(B)
�
June 1, 1950, and July 31, 1953; or

���������
(C)
�
August 1, 1964, and January 31, 1973; and

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(3)
�
Did not complete a high school curriculum
and receive a high school diploma.

����
(b)
�
The department may also award a high school
diploma to any person whose high school education was interrupted due to
wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War.

����
(c)
�
Applicants shall submit to the department, on
forms prescribed by the department, information establishing eligibility for
the award of a high school diploma under this section.
"

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

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Veterans;
Armed Services; Wartime Practices; High School Diploma; DOE

Description:

Authorizes
the Department of Education to establish a program to award high school diplomas
to persons who did not receive a diploma as a result of compulsory or voluntary
induction into the armed services and persons whose high school education was
interrupted due to wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or
the Vietnam War.

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