SR 105 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SYSTEM, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, TO REQUIRE COMPLETION OF COMPREHENSIVE COURSEWORK IN READING, LANGUAGE, AND LITERACY AS A CONDITION FOR GRADUATION FROM ANY STATE-APPROVED EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM LEADING TO TEACHER LICENSURE.

This Senate Resolution requests the Hawaii Department of Education to merge two existing adult education schools, McKinley Community School for Adults and Waipahu Community School for Adults, into one statewide program called the Hawaii State Community School for Adults. The bill aims to improve program coordination, streamline operations, and better serve adult learners by creating a unified system that maintains current services while expanding access across the state. The resolution directs the Department to consult with affected employees and their representatives before implementation, develop a transition plan to minimize disruptions, and set a target start date of July 1, 2026.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 16, 2026 Last action May 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

SR105_SD1 → SR105_SD1_PROPOSED · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to shift the focus from general literacy to the specific 'science of reading.' It replaces the Department of Education as the primary collaborator with the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) and mandates that teacher preparation programs include at least one comprehensive course in the science of reading. The resolution also updates the list of officials receiving copies of the bill to include the HTSB and the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from general reading, language, and literacy coursework to a specific requirement for courses based on the 'science of reading.' The primary agency responsible for oversight and collaboration changed from the Department of Education to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

REQUIREMENT

The required coursework was changed from general reading, language, and literacy to a specific mandate for at least one comprehensive course in the 'science of reading.'

A new requirement was added for the HTSB to align licensure standards and program approval criteria with the new science of reading course mandate.

ELIGIBILITY

The Department of Education was replaced by the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) as the key collaborator for implementing and aligning licensure standards with the new course requirement.

TECHNICAL

The list of officials to receive copies of the resolution was updated to include the Executive Director of the HTSB and the President of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, while removing the President of the University of Hawaii System and the Dean of the College of Education.

The report title was updated to reflect the new focus on the 'science of reading' and the involvement of the HTSB.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1).

upper

Apr 8, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from EDU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3561) with recommendation of adoption, as amended (SD 1).

upper

Apr 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Kidani, Hashimoto, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fukunaga.

upper

Apr 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDU has scheduled a public hearing on 04-06-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 19, 2026

Committee

Referred to EDU.

upper

Mar 16, 2026

Introduced

Offered.