Bill > HB628

This bill authorizes the Hawaii Department of Education to establish a program awarding high school diplomas to veterans and individuals whose education was disrupted by military service during specific periods of conflict, specifically World War II (December 1941 to August 1945), the Korean War (June 1950 to July 1953), and the Vietnam War (August 1964 to January 1973). To be eligible, applicants must have been residents of Hawaii or its territories, enrolled in a Hawaiian high school at the time of military induction, and either compulsorily or voluntarily inducted into active military service, ultimately not completing their high school curriculum and receiving a diploma. The bill allows for both veterans who were directly inducted into military service and individuals whose high school education was broadly interrupted by wartime practices during these conflicts to apply for a diploma. Applicants will need to submit documentation to the Department of Education establishing their eligibility, using forms prescribed by the department. This legislation continues and expands upon a previous act from 2015 that provided a similar diploma opportunity for veterans, and is set to take effect on July 1, 3000 (which appears to be a typographical error and likely means July 1, 2030).

Budget and Finance, Education, Military Affairs and Security

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=628&year=2026