Bill > HB636

This bill establishes a comprehensive school capital improvement project modernization initiative within the School Facilities Authority to create a detailed planning database for school facilities in Hawaii. The initiative requires the creation of an annual comprehensive asset inventory that includes a facilities condition index and enrollment-to-capacity ratio data, which will be organized by legislative district and complex area and made publicly available online. The database will help prioritize school facilities projects across four key categories: critical infrastructure (such as fire alarm systems, electrical, sewer, water capacity, roofing, and air conditioning), expansion (new classrooms or schools), functional adequacy enhancement, and legal compliance. The School Facilities Authority must submit an annual report by August 15 to the legislature, governor, board of education, and superintendent, detailing the current asset inventory, enrollment data, prioritized project lists, and recommendations for optimizing school capacity utilization. The bill also appropriates funds from the state's general revenues to be deposited into the school facilities special fund to establish and support this initiative, recognizing that Hawaii's school buildings are aging (with an average age of sixty years) and that the state currently spends approximately $454 million annually on capital improvement projects without a data-driven prioritization process.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=636&year=2026