STAND. COM. REP. NO. 856

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 422

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 422 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Education to award high school diplomas to qualified individuals whose school attendance was interrupted due to certain circumstances.

Specifically, the measure authorizes the award of high school diplomas to:

(1) Qualified persons who did not receive a high school diploma as a result of compulsory or voluntary induction into active service in the United States Armed Forces; or

(2) Qualified persons whose high school education was interrupted due to wartime practices during the Second World War, Korean War, or Vietnam War.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Hawaii Military Affairs Council, and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Education was previously authorized to award high school diplomas to qualified persons who did not receive a high school diploma due to military service or whose high school education was interrupted due to wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War, until the authorization expired in 2020. Your Committee further finds that this measure will resume the authorization permanently by codifying it in the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 422 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair