Bill > HB100

This bill aims to enhance Hawaii's public education system by empowering school complexes to incorporate media literacy into their standards-based curriculum. The legislation recognizes the growing threats of disinformation, misinformation, digital discrimination, and online hate speech, citing evidence such as a 2019 Council on Foreign Relations report linking digital hate speech to increased violence against minorities and a 2021 Kaiser Family Foundation study showing that over 78% of U.S. adults believed or were uncertain about false statements regarding COVID-19. By adding a new subsection to the existing education standards law, the bill allows school complexes to voluntarily develop curriculum that helps students understand and mitigate the negative impacts of digital misinformation and online harmful content. The bill's purpose is to advance informed digital citizenship by providing schools with the flexibility to address these critical issues within their existing educational frameworks, ultimately supporting the fundamental democratic principles of equality, liberty, and justice through accurate and non-discriminatory instruction.

Education

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=100&year=2025