RELATING TO EDUCATION.

SB3116

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

3116

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:

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SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that the current state
statute lists program areas that no longer align with federal requirements
under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, title II of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act, and implementing regulations in title 34 Code
of Federal Regulations part 463.

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Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to update Hawaii's statutory framework for adult and
community education programs to ensure alignment with federal adult education
funding requirements and current best practices in those programs by:

����
(1)
�
Modernizing terminology to align with
current adult education practice;

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(2)
�
Adding English language acquisition and
integrated English literacy and civics education;

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(3)
�
Updating the term "homemaking and
parent education" to "family and community education";

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(4)
�
Establishing workplace literacy and
workforce preparation programs as a core component; and

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(5)
�
Defining which individuals are
"eligible individuals" for those programs that receive federal
funding under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act.

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SECTION
2.
�
Section 302A-433, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

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"
�302A-433

�
Scope of adult and community education
programs offered.

�
(a)
�
As rapidly as resources are available and
interest is developed, instructional programs shall be initiated in the
following fields:

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(1)
�
[
Basic elementary education.
]
Adult
basic education.

�
A foundation
program in reading [
and
]
, writing,

speaking English, [
writing,
and arithmetic
]
, and mathematics
for [
persons
]
eligible
individuals
with no schooling or only primary grade training[
;
]
,
or for eligible individuals who need to strengthen their basic skills for daily
life or employment;

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(2)
�
[
Advanced elementary education.
]

Adult secondary education.

�
A
program [
in advanced elementary education
]
of secondary-level
instruction
for [
those

persons
]
:

���������
(A)
�
Eligible individuals
who have [
completed
four to eight years of schooling and who desire to obtain more complete mastery
of the fundamentals;
]
left school or had their education curtailed and
now desire to complete a high school equivalency or adult school diploma;

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(B)
�
Youths sixteen or older who have
been excepted from compulsory attendance under section 302A-1132; and

���������
(C)
�
Youths sixteen or older who are in
need of courses to complete their high school graduation requirements;

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(3)
�
[
Secondary education.
�
A program of secondary education for those
adults who, in youth, left school or for some reason had their education
curtailed and who now desire to continue their education; for those youths who
have been excepted from compulsory attendance under section 302A-1132; and for
those youths who are in need of courses to complete their high school
graduation requirements;
]
Adult literacy education.
�
A program in reading, writing, and
mathematics for eligible individuals who need to develop or improve their
literacy skills to enhance their personal, social, or employment lives;

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(4)
�
[
Adult literacy education.
�
A basic program in reading and writing
English, and arithmetic for persons who need to develop or improve their
mastery of basic literacy skills in these areas for purposes of enhancing their
personal, social, or employment lives;
]
English language acquisition and
integrated English literacy and civics education.
�
A program to assist eligible individuals who
are English language learners in acquiring reading, writing, speaking, and
comprehension skills, including civics education to support effective
participation in community and civic life;

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(5)
�
[
Homemaking and parent
]
Family
and community
education.
�
A program [
in
homemaking and parent education
] for [
all those
] parents and other
adults [
who desire training
] in family life[
,including
]
skills,

child [
care, nursing, budgeting, and other instruction basic to homemaking;
]

development, financial literacy, health and wellness, and other areas that
strengthen family engagement and support children's educational success,
including family literacy activities that integrate parent and family adult
education, early childhood education, parenting education, and interactive
literacy activities;

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(6)
�
Workplace literacy and workforce
preparation.
�
Programs designed to
improve the basic and employability skills of eligible individuals to function
effectively in the workplace, including contextualized instruction developed in
partnership with employers;

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[
(6)
]

(7)

�
Community education.
�
[
A program to
]
Programs that

facilitate understanding and enlightenment in civic duties, responsibilities,
and obligations for all [
persons
]
individuals
who desire to keep
pace with today's community, national, and world developments and who realize
the necessity of continuing study for the adequate fulfillment of their civic
functions.
�
Community education addresses
responsibilities within a given community, especially concerns related to
education and the schools, and offers additional services to supplement and
enrich the educational program of in-school children and youths.
�
These

programs may also provide
opportunities for lifelong learning and community engagement;

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[
(7)
]

(8)
�
Naturalization training.
�
The standard course of training provided by
the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services[
, which shall be
provided to all those persons
]
for all individuals
who have filed
applications for United States citizenship and desire to enroll in [
such a
]

the
course under the supervision of the department; and

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[
(8)
]

(9)
�
Cultural
and enrichment
opportunities.

�
[
A program of adult and community
education that will
]

Programs that
meet the interests and
desires of [
those people who wish to enrich and
]
individuals seeking

to broaden their cultural, recreational, and social

[
interests.
]
knowledge
and experiences.

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(b)
�
For the purposes of this section, unless the
context otherwise requires:

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"Adult" means an individual
who is age eighteen or older.

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"Basic skills deficient" means
an individual:

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(1)
�
Who
is a youth, that the individual has English reading, writing, or computing
skills at or below the eighth-grade level on a generally accepted standardized
test; or

����
(2)
�
Who
is a youth or adult, that the individual is unable to compute or solve
problems, or read, write, or speak English, at a level necessary to function on
the job, in the individual's family, or in society.

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"Eligible individual" means an
individual:

����
(1)
�
Who
has attained sixteen years of age;

����
(2)
�
Who
is not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under state law;
and

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(3)
�
Who:

���������
(A)
�
Is basic skills deficient;

���������
(B)
�
Does not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized
equivalent, and has not achieved an equivalent level of education; or

���������
(C)
�
Is an English language learner.

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"English language learner"
when used with respect to an eligible individual, means an eligible individual
who has limited ability in reading, writing, speaking, or comprehending the
English language, and:

����
(1)
�
Whose
native language is a language other than English; or

����
(2)
�
Who
lives in a family or community environment where a language other than English
is the dominant language.
"

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SECTION
3.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

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SECTION
4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

BY REQUEST

Report Title:

Department of Education; Adult and Community Education;
Scope of Programs

Description:

Updates Hawaii's statutory framework for adult and
community education programs to ensure alignment with federal funding
requirements and current best practices in those programs.

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