HB 542 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII PROMISE PROGRAM.

Summary

Expands the Hawaii promise program to provide scholarships for the unmet needs of qualified students at any four-year university of Hawaii campus who meet certain criteria. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2026

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB542 → HB542_HD1 · 2 edits

MINOR

This bill version includes administrative metadata updates and a critical change to the effective date, moving the law's implementation from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 3000. Additionally, minor text corrections were made to clarify eligibility requirements for scholarship recipients.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the University of Hawaii Promise Program, but the effective date change significantly alters when the program's provisions become active.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was changed from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 3000, which delays the implementation of the program's changes by nearly a century.

TECHNICAL

Minor text corrections were made to fix a typo regarding credit requirements ('twelve of more' changed to 'twelve or more') and to adjust the formatting of the bill title and header information.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 2, 2026

Committee

Re-Referred to EDU, WAM.

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to HRE, WAM.

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 108).

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 12 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Miyake, Templo, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 4 Excused: Representative(s) Lee, M., Morikawa, Alcos, Ward.

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Reported from HED (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 408) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on HED recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Garrett, Amato, Kapela, Kila, La Chica, Olds, Sayama, Woodson, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Evslin, Muraoka.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to HED, FIN, referral sheet 2

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.