HB962 • 2026

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Budget Education

Active

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

Sponsor: TAKENOUCHI, CHUN, EVSLIN, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KILA, KITAGAWA, LA CHICA, LOWEN, MARTEN, MIYAKE, POEPOE, TODD
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details on how much funding will be appropriated or which schools will qualify.

School Librarian Pilot Program

This bill requires the Department of Education to create a two-year pilot program that funds schools to hire librarians, with funding provided for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

What This Bill Does

Creates a two-year school librarian pilot program funded by the state.
Requires qualifying schools to have a basic library space to receive funds.
Funds must be used for hiring or retaining librarians who meet certain requirements.
Schools receiving funds must report annually on how the money is spent and its impact.
The Department of Education will submit reports to the legislature about the program's progress.

Who It Names or Affects

Department of Education
Public schools in Hawaii
Librarians hired by participating schools

Terms To Know

Pilot Program: A small-scale test run to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a new program before full implementation.
Appropriation: Money set aside by the government for specific purposes, in this case, funding for hiring librarians.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much money will be appropriated.
It is unclear which schools will qualify based on current standards.
The program ends after two years and its future beyond that point is uncertain.

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 Education to create a two-year pilot program that provides funding for public schools to hire librarians, with annual reports and evaluations.

Establishes a two-year school librarian pilot program funded by state money.
Requires participating schools to have basic library space and use funds to hire or retain qualified librarians.
Limits the use of funds to librarian salaries and related benefits only.
Necessitates annual reports from participating schools detailing how the funds were used.

The exact amount of funding is not specified in the amendment text.
The program will end on June 30, 2027, after which its continuation or modification would require new legislation.

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. 44).
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. 855), 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.
2025-02-12 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. 463) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-02-06 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.
2025-02-03 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Thursday, 02-06-25 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 EDUCATION.
Department of Education; School Librarian Pilot Program; Appropriation ($)
Requires the Department of Education to establish and administer a two-year school librarian pilot program to provide funding for qualifying schools to hire librarians. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB962

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

962

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 a
well-equipped and staffed library is essential for fostering student learning,
personal growth, and academic success.
�
Equitable access to educational resources is a
fundamental right of every student, ensuring that all students have the tools
they need for academic achievement.
�
Furthermore, schools with a strong school
library program and a licensed school librarian provide their students with the
best chance to succeed.
�
This is evidenced
by more than sixty education and library research studies that demonstrate that
strong school library programs staffed by licensed school librarians help
students do better academically, even when other school variables are
considered.

����
The
legislature further finds that in Hawaii, only twenty-four per cent of Hawaii's
public schools are staffed with licensed school librarians.
�
Schools on a neighbor island are far less
likely to have a licensed librarian.
�
Additionally,
only twelve public schools are intended to be served by a combination public and
school libraries, yet only one of those combination libraries has a licensed
school librarian.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to establish and administer a two-year school
librarian pilot program to provide funding for qualifying schools to hire
librarians.

����
SECTION 2.
�
(a)
�

The department of education shall establish and administer a two-year
school librarian pilot program to provide financial support to department of
education schools for the hiring of qualified librarians.

����
(b)
�
To qualify for funding under the school
librarian pilot program, a department of education school shall demonstrate to
the department of education that:

����
(1)
�
The school has a library space that qualifies as
basic, as determined by the department under the department's Elements of a
Quality School Library Media Program standards; and

����
(2)
�
The funds awarded under the pilot program
shall be used to hire or retain a librarian who meets the basic requirements,
as determined by the department under the department's Elements of a Quality
School Library Media Program standards.

����
(c)
�
Funds awarded under this section shall be
used exclusively for librarian salaries and related benefits.
�
Schools with existing librarian positions and
library budgets shall receive funds from the school librarian pilot program as
a supplement to, and not as a replacement for, existing resources.

����
(d)
�
Participating department of education schools
who receive funds pursuant to this section shall submit an annual report to the
department of education detailing the use of funds and the impact of funds on
library services.

����
(e)
�
The department of education shall establish
guidelines and procedures for applications, evaluations, and the disbursement
of funds under the school librarian pilot program.

����
(f)
�
The department of education shall submit an
interim report on the status of the school librarian pilot program to the
legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular
session of 2026.
�
The department of
education shall submit a final report on the school librarian pilot program,
including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the
legislature no later twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session
of 2027.

����
(g)
�
The school librarian pilot program shall
cease to exist on June 30, 2027.

����
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 administration of the school librarian 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.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Education; School Librarian Pilot Program; Appropriation

Description:

Requires
the Department of Education to establish and administer a two-year school
librarian pilot program to provide funding for qualifying schools to hire
librarians.
�
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.