RELATING TO EARLY CHILD INTERVENTION.

Budget Children Education

Active

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

Sponsor: KITAGAWA, AMATO, CHUN, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KUSCH, LAMOSAO, LEE, M., MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MIYAKE, REYES ODA, TAKENOUCHI
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date mentioned in the official summary seems incorrect and needs verification.

Early Intervention Services Funding

This bill appropriates funds to reclassify certain positions and create new mental health specialist positions within the Early Childhood Services Unit.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Human Resources Development to reclassify certain early intervention specialist positions in the Early Childhood Services Unit.
Appropriates $48,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to support position reclassification.
Appropriates $142,032 for fiscal year 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to create two full-time mental health specialist positions in the Early Childhood Services Unit.

Who It Names or Affects

Children with special needs under three years old.
Early intervention specialists working for the Department of Health.
The State's budget and funding allocations.

Terms To Know

Reclassify: To change or adjust job titles and pay grades within a department.
Fiscal Year: A period of one year used for budgeting and financial reporting by the government.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how many positions will be reclassified.
It is unclear if this funding will fully address the current shortage of early intervention specialists in Hawaii.
The effective date provided in the official summary (July 1, 3000) appears to be an error.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the Department of Human Resources Development to reclassify certain early intervention specialist positions and establishes new mental health specialist positions within the Early Childhood Services Unit, with funding appropriated for these changes.

Reclassifies physical therapist III, special education teacher III, and occupational therapist III positions to higher levels (IV) within the Early Childhood Services Unit of the Department of Health's early intervention section.
Establishes two full-time equivalent mental health specialist positions in the same unit with funding provided for their salaries.

The exact amount of funds appropriated is not specified, only that it will be necessary to cover the reclassification and new position establishment costs.
The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears incorrect and likely needs correction in future versions.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment appropriates funds to create two full-time mental health specialist positions within the Early Childhood Services Unit of the Department of Health's early intervention section.

Appropriates money for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to establish two new permanent mental health specialist positions.

The exact amount of funds appropriated is not specified.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect or symbolic and needs clarification.

HD3

Hawaii published version HD3

Plain English: This amendment allocates money to create new mental health specialist positions within the early childhood services unit of Hawaii's Department of Health.

Allocates funds from general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to establish full-time equivalent permanent mental health specialist positions in the Early Childhood Services Unit.

The exact amount of funding is not specified.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) appears incorrect and likely contains an error.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to HHS, WAM.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 298).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-04-25.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1021) as amended in HD 3, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-24 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. 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.
2025-02-21 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Monday, 02-24-25 12:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-13 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kitagawa, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-13 H
Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 540) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.
2025-02-11 H
The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Kong, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-02-07 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Tuesday, 02-11-25 9:00AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-04 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on LAB with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kong, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-04 H
Reported from HSH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 58) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to LAB.
2025-01-30 H
The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Marten, Olds, Amato, Chun, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2025-01-27 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH on Thursday, 01-30-25 9:35AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-23 H
Referred to HSH, LAB, FIN, referral sheet 3
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-21 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO EARLY CHILD INTERVENTION.
Early Intervention Services; Early Intervention Specialists; Department of Health; Positions; Department of Human Resources Development; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds for the establishment of new positions within the Early Childhood Services Unit. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB880

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

880

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to Early CHILD Intervention
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that the State
continues to face various challenges when addressing the needs of children with
special needs under the age of three.
�

One of these challenges includes significant vacancy rates for the
State's early intervention providers, as Hawaii has a thirty to forty-two per
cent vacancy rate across all early intervention programs.
�
The impacts of these challenges include
infant and toddler development and the State's ability to be in compliance with
certain federal mandates.

����
The
legislature further finds that addressing recruitment and retention of certain early
intervention specialists will allow the State to fill vacant positions and ensure
that infants and toddlers with special needs receive the services they are
entitled to.
�
Additionally, establishing mental
health specialist positions will help increase the State's resources to meet
infant and early childhood mental health needs.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to:

����
(1)
�
Require the department of human resources
development to reclassify certain positions within the early childhood services
unit of the department of health early intervention section; and

����
(2)
�
Appropriate funds for the reclassification of
certain positions and establishment of mental health specialist positions
within the early childhood services unit of the department of health early
intervention section.

����
SECTION
2.
�
The department of human resources
development shall reclassify the following positions within the early childhood
services unit of the department of health early intervention section as
follows:

����
(1)
�
Physical therapist III to physical therapist
IV;

����
(2)
�
Special education teacher III to special
education teacher IV; and

����
(3)
�
Occupational therapist III to occupational
therapist IV.

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $48,000 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 reclassification
of certain positions within the early childhood services unit of the department
of health early intervention section pursuant to section 2 of this Act.

����
The sums

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

����
SECTION
4.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $142,032 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 of
two full-time equivalent (2.00 FTE) permanent mental health specialist
positions within the early childhood services unit of the department of health
early intervention section; provided that the salary schedule for each position
shall be set at a mental health specialist salary schedule.

����
The sums

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

����
SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Early Intervention
Services; Early Intervention Specialists; Department of Health; Positions;
Reclassification; Department of Human Resources Development; Appropriation

Description:

Requires
the Department of Human Resources Development to reclassify certain early
intervention specialist positions within the Early Childhood Services Unit in
the Department of Health.
�
Appropriates
funds for the reclassification of certain positions and establishment of new
positions within the early childhood services unit.

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