RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES.

SB2548

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2548

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to school facilities
.

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

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SECTION 1.
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The legislature finds that the centralized
system for managing school capital improvement projects within the department
of education has contributed to a substantial backlog of deferred maintenance.
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This structure has resulted in delays, reduced
responsiveness to the needs of individual school communities, and challenges in
managing project timelines and budgets.

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The
legislature further finds that the school facilities authority was established
by Act 72, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, as a specialized agency focused
exclusively on the development and improvement of public school facilities.
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Act 72 intended the consolidation of
facilities-related expertise within the authority, including the transfer of
certain functions and positions from the department of education.
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That consolidation has not yet been
implemented.

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The
legislature also finds that a decentralized, district‑based model for
managing deferred maintenance projects will improve efficiency, accountability,
and responsiveness.
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Localizing
management within geographically based districts will allow decisions to be
made closer to the schools they affect and provide a phased framework for the
authority to assume broader capital improvement responsibilities in the future.

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The
purpose of this Act is to modernize the State's school facilities management
by:

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(1)
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Requiring
the school facilities authority to establish geographically based capital
improvement project districts for the localized management of deferred
maintenance;

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(2)
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Transferring
vacant facilities development branch positions from the department of education
to the school facilities authority; and

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(3)
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Transferring
all functions, duties, and funds related to deferred maintenance from the
department of education to the school facilities authority.

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

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"
�302A-
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Deferred maintenance project districts;
established.
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(a)
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The authority shall establish geographically based
capital improvement project districts to provide for the localized management
of project design, construction, and administration related to deferred
maintenance.
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The boundaries of these
districts shall, to the extent practicable, align with the school districts
established for administrative purposes by the department.

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(b)
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Each district shall be responsible for:

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(1)
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Providing localized management and
oversight of deferred maintenance project design and construction;

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(2)
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Administering project budgets and
managing project schedules to ensure timely and cost-effective completion; and

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(3)
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Serving as the primary local point
of contact for public schools within the district regarding deferred
maintenance needs and projects.

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(c)
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The authority shall assign dedicated staff,
including a district facilities manager, to each district to carry out the
functions described in this section.
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SECTION
3.
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(a)
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All rights, powers, functions, and duties of the department of education
relating to deferred maintenance are transferred to the school facilities
authority.

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(b)
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All
vacant positions within the department of education's facilities development
branch as of the effective date of this Act, including all associated funding
for salaries and benefits, are transferred to the school facilities authority.

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(c)
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All
appropriations, items of appropriation, and unexpended balances of funds,
including any federal funds, designated for deferred maintenance or facilities
development within the department of education, are transferred to the school
facilities authority.

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SECTION
4.
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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 2026-2027 for the
purposes of establishing geographically based districts and implementing the
transfer of positions and funds pursuant to this Act.

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The
sum appropriated shall be expended by the school facilities authority for the
purposes of this Act.

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SECTION
5.
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New statutory material is
underscored.

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SECTION
6.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1,
2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

School Facilities Authority; Department of Education;
Deferred Maintenance; Districts; Transfer

Description:

Requires the School Facilities Authority to establish
geographically based capital improvement project districts for the localized
management of deferred maintenance.
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Transfers all deferred maintenance functions,
funds, and vacant facilities development branch positions from the Department
of Education to the School Facilities Authority as intended and contemplated in
Act 72, SLH 2020.
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Appropriates funds.

The summary description
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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.