STAND. COM. REP. NO. 789

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1496

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1496, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the position of Ka Papahana Kaiapuni program complex area superintendent;

(2) Require that at least one at-large member of the Board of Education be a Hawaiian educator, practitioner, or scholar of Hawaiian studies or the Hawaiian language;

(3) Clarify the purpose and objective of the Hawaiian Language Medium Education Program; and

(4) Appropriate funds for the establishment of:

(A) The Ka Papahana Kaiapuni program complex area superintendent; and

(B) A secretary position to support the Ka Papahana Kaiapuni program complex area superintendent.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; ‘Aha Pūnana Leo; Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Maui ma Pa‘ia; Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School; Ke Kula ‘O Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u Iki Laboratory Public Charter School; ‘Aha Kauleo; Nā Leo Kāko‘o o Maui, Inc.; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Education.

Your Committee finds that this measure will strengthen the State's commitment to ʻŌlelo Hawaii as an official language of the State and ensure the success of the Ka Papahana Kaiapuni education program.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that at least one at-large member of the board should be a proficient Hawaiian speaking educator, practitioner, or scholar of Hawaiian studies or the Hawaiian language;

(2) Clarifying that the Ka Papahana Kaiapuni program complex area superintendent should be proficient in speaking Hawaiian; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1496, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1496, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair