HB88 • 2026

RELATING TO STUDENT ATHLETES.

Education Housing

Active

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

Sponsor: POEPOE, CHUN, IWAMOTO, KAPELA, KILA, KITAGAWA, LAMOSAO, LOWEN, PERRUSO, SOUZA
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 specify if the Department of Education is allowed to collaborate with private entities and volunteers for chartering or rental of transportation and housing. This claim was removed as it cannot be verified from the provided material.

Student Athlete Travel Program

This bill requires the Department of Education to create a three-year pilot program that provides funding for student athletes in Maui County to cover intra-county travel expenses.

What This Bill Does

Creates a three-year pilot program to help fund travel costs for student athletes in Maui County.
Requires the Department of Education to manage and run this program.
Allows the Department to work with private companies and volunteers to arrange transportation and housing for student athletes.
Requires the Department to report on the program's findings and recommendations before it ends.

Who It Names or Affects

Student athletes in Maui County
The Department of Education

Terms To Know

Pilot Program: A small-scale trial run of a program to test its effectiveness before full implementation.
Intra-county travel expenses: Costs related to traveling within the same county, such as transportation and lodging.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only applies to student athletes in Maui County.
It is not clear how much funding will be provided for each athlete.
The program ends on June 30, 2028.

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 a three-year pilot program to provide funding for student athletes in counties with less than 500,000 residents to cover travel expenses within their county.

Establishes a three-year pilot program by the Department of Education to fund intra-county travel expenses for student athletes in small-population counties.
Requires the Department of Education to collaborate with private entities and volunteers to arrange transportation and housing for participating students.
Necessitates a report on the pilot program's findings, including financial details and recommendations, before June 30, 2028.

The exact amount of funding is not specified in the amendment text provided.

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. 6).
2025-02-27 H
Passed Third Reading with none 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. 846), 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.
2025-02-05 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with Representative(s) Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-02-05 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 179) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
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, FIN, referral sheet 1
2025-01-16 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-13 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO STUDENT ATHLETES.
Department of Education; Student Athletes; Travel; Pilot Program ($)
Requires the Department of Education to establish and administer a three-year student athlete travel pilot program to provide funding for intra-county travel expenses for student athletes of counties with a population of less than 500,000. Appropriates funds. Repeals 6/30/28. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB88

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

88

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to student athletes
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that the benefits of
providing students with opportunities to participate in athletics extend beyond
improved physical fitness.
�
Multiple
studies have concluded that student athletes tend to have higher academic
achievement compared to non-athletes and have suggested that participating in
sports improves discipline and time management, resulting in improved grades,
graduation rates, and career outcomes.
�

Studies have also shown that student athletes experience better mental
health outcomes including lower rates of stress, anxiety, and depression and
higher levels of emotional well-being when compared to their non-athlete peers.

����
The
legislature further finds that, as a multi-island jurisdiction, Maui county
students participating in school sports face unique and burdensome challenges
when attending competitions within the county, including the cost of air or sea
travel and access to reasonable lodging accommodations.
�
Multiple days of travel are often required for
Maui county student athletes to attend competitions on a non-home island.
�
This requires significant fundraising efforts
and logistical planning, which may include chartering boats or planes, renting
multiple vehicles, recruiting volunteers on a non-home island to house, feed,
and shuttle students, coaches, and chaperones, sleeping on gym floors, and relying
on unhealth but convenient food.

����
The
legislature notes that the travel costs for student athletes to compete within
Maui county presents a significant and unique financial and logistical burden
for both the athletes and their families, which may affect the ability of the
student athletes to compete at their highest form.
�
The legislature believes that providing a
funding mechanism to cover intra-county travel expenses of student athletes
that live in a county consisting of more than two islands is essential for
ensuring equitable access to the opportunities and benefits provided through
participating in school sports and athletics.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to establish and appropriate funds for a student athlete
travel pilot program to provide funds for intra-county travel expenses for
student athletes of Maui county.

����
SECTION
2.
�
(a)
�

There is established a three-year student athlete travel pilot program,
to be administered by the department of education, to provide funding for intra-county
travel expenses for student athletes of Maui county.

����
(b)
�
The department of education may collaborate
with private entities and volunteers for the chartering or rental of
transportation and housing for participating students of the pilot program.

����
(c)
�
The department of education shall submit a
report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation,
on the student athlete travel pilot program to the legislature no later than
twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2028.
�
The report shall include:

����
(1)
�
The number of student athletes participating
in the pilot program;

����
(2)
�
The total amount of funds used for the pilot
program and amount of funds used for each student athlete; and

����
(3)
�
The companies the pilot program contracted
with to provide transportation to student athletes.

����
(d)
�
The pilot program shall cease to exist on
June 30, 2028.

����
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 for the
establishment and implementation of the student travel athlete pilot program
pursuant to section 2 of this Act.

����
The sums

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

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025,
and shall be repealed on June 30, 2028.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Education; Student Athletes; Travel; Pilot Program

Description:

Requires
the Department of Education to establish and administer a three-year student
athlete travel pilot program to provide funding intra-county travel expenses
for student athletes of Maui county.
�

Appropriates funds.
�
Repeals
6/30/28.

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