SB2391 • 2026

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Education

Active

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

Sponsor: ELEFANTE, GABBARD, HASHIMOTO, INOUYE, KEOHOKALOLE, MCKELVEY
Last action: 2026-03-30
Official status: Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).
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 EDUCATION.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO EDUCATION.
Salaries; Teachers; Annual Increases Provides annual salary step increases for public schools and public charter school teachers who have completed one year's satisfactory service and comply with specified requirements, if negotiated into a collective bargaining agreement pursuant to section 89-9, HRS, and subject to funds appropriated by the Legislature.
Effective 7/1/3000.
(HD1)

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.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: SB2391 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2391 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2391 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2391 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2391 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2391 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION .

SD2

Hawaii published version SD2

Plain English: SB2391 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2391 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2391 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION .

Bill History

2026-03-30 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).
2026-03-30 H
Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1467-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to FIN.
2026-03-24 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; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-03-20 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Tuesday, 03-24-26 9:30AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-20 H
Passed Second Reading and referred to the committee(s) on LAB with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-03-20 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1288-26), recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to LAB.
2026-03-19 H
The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-03-17 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Thursday, 03-19-26 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-12 H
Referred to EDN, LAB, FIN, referral sheet 17
2026-03-12 H
Pass First Reading
2026-03-10 H
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 225) in amended form (SD 2).
2026-03-10 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2026-03-05 S
48 Hrs. Notice 03-10-26.
2026-03-05 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2851) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
2026-03-02 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-25 S
The committee(s) on WAM deferred the measure until 03-02-26 10:01AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-02-23 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-25-26 10:55AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-02-13 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-02-13 S
Reported from LBT/EDU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2263) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-02-06 S
The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Kidani, Hashimoto, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fukunaga.
2026-02-06 S
The committee(s) on LBT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in LBT were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Elefante, Lamosao, Ihara, Moriwaki, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-03 S
The committee(s) on LBT/EDU has scheduled a public hearing on 02-06-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2026-01-28 S
Referred to LBT/EDU, WAM.
2026-01-21 S
Introduced and passed First Reading.
2026-01-16 S
Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO EDUCATION.
Salaries; Teachers; Annual Increases
Provides annual salary step increases for public schools and public charter school teachers who have completed one year's satisfactory service and comply with specified requirements, if negotiated into a collective bargaining agreement pursuant to section 89-9, HRS, and subject to funds appropriated by the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2391

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2391

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

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 average
salaries for teachers in Hawaii generally fall in the middle of national rankings
of teachers' pay.
�
However, once the
salaries of teachers in the State are adjusted for the cost of living, they are
the lowest-paid in the nation.
�
The
national average salary for all teachers stands at approximately $30,086, when
cost of living is considered.
�
However,
the average starting salary for teachers in Hawaii is $24,409, when adjusted
for cost of living.

����
Furthermore,
the legislature finds that close to half of teachers in Hawaii are leaving the
profession or the State altogether within five years of starting, posing a
significant problem for students.
�

Slightly more than nine hundred teachers were hired in 2013, but as of
2018, fewer than four hundred seventy of them remained in the classroom.
�
Within the last five years, the number of
teachers leaving Hawaii has increased to seventy-one per cent.
�
Only fifty-one per cent of teachers hired
during the 2013-2014 school year were still teaching in Hawaii five years
later, a decrease from fifty-four per cent during the previous year.
�
As the State continues to address matters of
teacher recruitment and retention, it is crucial to support current teachers
now.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to provide automatic step increases in teacher salaries
for each year of satisfactory service completed, subject to available funds.

����
SECTION
2.
�
Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and
to read as follows:

����
"
�302A-
�
Salary increases; annual, longevity.
�
(a)
�

Pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement negotiated for bargaining
unit (5) and subject to the availability of funds, teachers who have completed one
year's satisfactory service and who have complied with the other requirements
of sections 302A-602 to 302A-639, and 302A-701, as applicable, shall be
entitled to an annual increment.

����
(b)
�
Teachers who have served satisfactorily for
three years in their maximum increment step or in any longevity step and who
have complied with the other requirements of sections 302A-602 to 302A-639, and
302A-701, as applicable, shall receive longevity step increases, subject to the
availability of funds.
"

����
SECTION
3.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Salaries;
Teachers; Annual Increases

Description:

Pursuant
to a collective bargaining agreement negotiated for Bargaining Unit (5) and
subject to the availability of funds, provides annual salary step increases for
public school teachers who have completed one year's satisfactory service and
comply with specified requirements.

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