Report Title:
Department of Education; Veterans; Graduate Equivalency Diploma
Description:
Directs the department of education to establish a program to award graduate equivalency diplomas to armed forces veterans drafted during World War II and to individuals whose schooling was interrupted due to wartime practices such as internment. (SB2886 HD1)
|
THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2886 |
|
TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006 |
S.D. 2 |
|
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
H.D. 1 |
|
|
|
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Over the years, many young Americans have had their education interrupted or curtailed due to compulsory induction into the military during times of conflict. Others had their schooling interrupted due to wartime practices, such as the internment of Japanese and Japanese-Americans during World War II.
The purpose of this Act is to direct the department of education to establish a program for granting high school diplomas to veterans of the armed services who could not finish high school due to compulsory service in the armed services of the United States during World War II as well as individuals who did not complete high school because of wartime practices.
SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§302A- Graduate equivalency diploma for armed services veterans and others. (a) The department shall establish a program to award graduate equivalency diplomas to qualified veterans who did not receive a high school diploma as a result of compulsory induction into active service in the armed forces of the United States.
(b) For purposes of this section, a "qualified veteran" is a person who:
(1) Was a resident of the Territory of Hawaii at the time of induction into the armed forces of the United States;
(2) Was compulsorily inducted into the armed forces of the United States between December 1, 1941, and August 30, 1945; provided that the department may consider extending these time periods;
(3) Was inducted while attending or enrolled to attend high school in the Territory of Hawaii; and
(4) Did not complete the high school curriculum and receive a high school diploma.
(c) The department shall also award a graduate equivalency diploma to a person whose high school education was interrupted due to wartime practices such as internment for reason of ethnicity during World War II.
(d) Qualified persons may submit to the department, on forms that the department shall prescribe, information establishing eligibility for the award of a graduate equivalency diploma.
(e) The department shall establish rules for the purposes of this section; provided that such rulemaking is exempt from chapter 91; provided further that the rules are subject to approval by the board."
SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.