HB838 • 2026

RELATING TO TEACHERS.

Budget Education

Active

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

Sponsor: REYES ODA, GARCIA, GRANDINETTI, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, MATSUMOTO, MIYAKE, MURAOKA, OLDS, PERRUSO, PIERICK, WARD
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the bonus will be paid or when it starts, and there is uncertainty about budget constraints affecting full payment to all eligible teachers.

Teacher Bonus Increase

This bill increases the bonus for teachers who have national board certification from $5,000 to $10,000 per year.

What This Bill Does

Increases the yearly bonus for certified teachers from $5,000 to $10,000.

Who It Names or Affects

Public school teachers with national board certification

Terms To Know

National Board Certification: A special teaching qualification that recognizes excellent teaching skills and knowledge.
Department of Education (DOE): The government agency responsible for managing public schools in Hawaii.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the bonus will be paid or when it starts.
It is unclear if all teachers who qualify will receive the full amount due to budget constraints.
The exact number of teachers who might benefit from this increase is unknown.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment increases the annual bonus for teachers who maintain national board certification from $5,000 to $10,000.

Increases the annual bonus for public school teachers with current national board certification from $5,000 to $10,000.

The amendment text does not specify how much funding will be appropriated or provide details on other new bonuses and reimbursements.
The effective date of July 1, 3000 is likely a placeholder and needs to be corrected in the final version.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-12 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, Sayama, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-12 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 460) 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.
2025-01-23 H
Referred to EDN, FIN, referral sheet 3
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-21 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO TEACHERS.
Teachers; Certification; Bonus; Appropriation; Retention; DOE ($)
Increases the bonus for teachers who achieve and maintain a current national board certification from $5,000 to $10,000. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB838

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

838

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO TEACHERS
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
Section 302A-706, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

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"(a)
�
There is established within the department
the teacher national board certification incentive program to recognize and
support exemplary teaching practice by supporting public school teachers who
have achieved national board certification under the certification program of
the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
�
The teacher national board certification
incentive program shall provide:

����
(1)
�
A [
$5,000
]
$10,000

bonus per year for each public school teacher who maintains current national
board certification;

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(2)
�
$1,500 upon
completing all components of the certification program of the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards;

����
(3)
�
A reimbursement of
the remainder of the national board certification application fee upon
achievement of national board certification; and

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(4)
�
An additional
$5,000 bonus per year for each public school teacher who maintains current
national board certification and who teaches at:

���������
(A)
�
A school
in a
focus, priority, or superintendent's zone, or other similar designation, as
determined by the department;

���������
(B)
�
A
school with a
high turnover rate, as determined by the department; or

���������
(C)
�
A hard-to-fill
school, as determined by the department."

����
SECTION 2.
�
There is appropriated out of the general
revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $4,000,000 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 to fund the bonus of $15,000 for
each teacher who achieves and maintains a national board certification pursuant
to section 302A-706, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

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

����
SECTION 3.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval;
provided that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Teachers;
Certification; Bonus; Appropriation; Retention; DOE

Description:

Increases
the bonus for teachers who achieve and maintain a current national board
certification from $5,000 to $10,000.
�

Appropriates funds.

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