SB2222 • 2026

RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.

Education

Active

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

Sponsor: CHANG, FEVELLA, SAN BUENAVENTURA, Wakai
Last action: 2026-01-26
Official status: Referred to EDU, JDC.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.
DOE; Education; Attendance; Mental Health; Behavioral Health; Excused Absence Requires the Department of Education to identify as an excused absence any absence due to the student's mental or behavioral health.
Limits the number of excused absences due to mental or behavioral health that a student may take per academic year.
Exempts an absence due to the student's mental or behavioral health from the enforcement of penalties relating to compulsory school attendance.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-26 S
Referred to EDU, JDC.
2026-01-21 S
Introduced and passed First Reading.
2026-01-14 S
Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.
DOE; Education; Attendance; Mental Health; Behavioral Health; Excused Absence
Requires the Department of Education to identify as an excused absence any absence due to the student's mental or behavioral health. Limits the number of excused absences due to mental or behavioral health that a student may take per academic year. Exempts an absence due to the student's mental or behavioral health from the enforcement of penalties relating to compulsory school attendance.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2222

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2222

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to mental health
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

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"
�302A-
��

��
Attendance; mental or
behavioral health; excused absence.
�
(a)
�
The department shall identify as an excused absence any absence due to
the student's mental or behavioral health; provided that a student may not take
more than
�����
excused absences due to
mental or behavioral health per academic year.

����
(b)
�
For the purposes of this
section, "excused absence" means an absence identified by the
department as exempt from penalties relating to the failure of a student to
meet the requirements for regular attendance at school.
"

����
SECTION

2
.
�
Section
302A-1136, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

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"
[
[
]�302A-1136[
]
]
�
Enforcement.
�
(a)
�

The department shall be charged with the enforcement of sections
302A-1132 to 302A‑1135.
�
Nothing in
this section shall relieve any chief of police or police officer of the chief's
or officer's responsibility for the enforcement of these sections, but their
enforcement shall be subject to the plans and policies of the department.

����
(b)
�
An absence by a student due to the student's
mental or behavioral health shall be exempt from this section.
"

����
SECTION
3.
�
This Act does not affect rights and
duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were
begun before its effective date.

����
SECTION
4.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION
5.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOE;
Education; Attendance; Mental Health; Behavioral Health; Excused Absence

Description:

Requires
the Department of Education to identify as an excused absence any absence due
to the student's mental or behavioral health.
�

Limits the number of excused absences due to mental or behavioral health
that a student may take per academic year.
�

Exempts an absence due to the student's mental or behavioral health from
the enforcement of penalties relating to compulsory school attendance.

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