Bill > HB1460

This bill aims to promote and preserve the Hawaiian language (?Olelo Hawai?i) by implementing two key initiatives. First, starting with the 2026-2027 school year, the bill will require all public school students in Hawaii to complete two credits of Hawaiian language instruction as a graduation requirement. This mandate comes in response to the historical suppression of the Hawaiian language, which was nearly extinct by the 1980s due to an 1896 law that banned Hawaiian language in schools. Second, the bill establishes a two-year pilot Hawaiian language program at an elementary school in central Oahu and at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School. The Department of Education will design the program, award certificates to participating elementary students, recognize credits for high school students, assess student progress, and make recommendations about the Hawaiian language instruction requirement. The department must submit a report to the legislature before the 2028 regular session detailing the pilot program's findings and potential future steps. The bill builds upon previous language revitalization efforts, including constitutional recognition of Hawaiian as an official state language and the establishment of Hawaiian language immersion programs, with the ultimate goal of not just preserving but helping the Hawaiian language thrive.

Education

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1460&year=2025