Hawaii legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Hawaii SCR196: Requesting the Department of Education to Develop a Standardized Bell Schedule Framework for Department Schools.
Status: Passed both chambers, April 27, 2026
What the bill says
From the engrossed text:
THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D. STATE OF HAWAII SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A PROPOSAL FOR A TIERED, COORDINATED, AND STANDARDIZED BELL SCHEDULE FRAMEWORK FOR DEPARTMENT SCHOOLS. WHEREAS, the State has established minimum instructional hour requirements to ensure that all public school students receive adequate and equitable educations; and WHEREAS, currently, the bell schedule for each school is determined at the school level via a collaborative process that affords the school administration flexibility to tailor the allocation of time according to individual academic goals and operational nuances; and WHEREAS, as a result, however, school start and end times vary widely across public schools and complex areas, creating challenges for families with children at multiple grade levels, complicating transportation planning, and limiting opportunities for coordination with community programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities; and WHEREAS, the absence of standardization across bell schedules also produces operational inefficiencies for the Department of Education, particularly with respect to school bus routing, staffing, professional development planning, and shared services across schools or complex areas; and WHEREAS, establishing a coordinated standardized bell schedule framework by school level, while preserving local flexibility within instructional hour requirements, would promote greater predictability, equity, and efficiency across the public education system; and WHEREAS, a consistent scheduling structure may also support student well-being by …
Sponsors
- Donna Kim (D, 14) · primary sponsor
- Stanley Chang (D, 9)
- Mike Gabbard (D, 21)
- Troy Hashimoto (D, 5)
- Joy San Buenaventura (D, 2)
- Glenn Wakai (D, 15)
Latest actions
- : Certified copies of resolutions sent, 05-12-26.
- : Received notice of Adoption (Sen. Com. No. 781).
- : Resolution adopted in final form.
- : Received notice of reconsideration and Senate agreement (Sen. Com. No. 763).
- : One Day Notice 04-27-26
- : Senate agrees with House amendments. Placed on the calendar for Final Reading on 04-27-26.
- : Reconsideration of action taken on 04-21-26 in disagreeing to the House amendments.
- : Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 743).
- : Senate Conferee(s) discharged.
- : Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 722).
Votes
- Adopted as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka, Reyes Oda voting no (3) and Representative(s) Alcos, Cochran, Woodson excused (3) (April 20, 2026): 45 yea, 3 nay, passed
- EDN: recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS (April 16, 2026): 8 yea, 0 nay, passed
- EDU: recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS (April 6, 2026): 4 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: DOE
Common questions
- What is SCR196?
- SCR196 is a bill in the Hawaii Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Requesting the Department of Education to Develop a Standardized Bell Schedule Framework for Department Schools.
- What is the status of SCR196?
- Passed both chambers as of April 27, 2026. Latest action: Certified copies of resolutions sent, 05-12-26. (May 12, 2026).
- Who sponsored SCR196?
- Donna Kim (D, 14), with 5 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for SCR196?
- On the Hawaii Legislature website: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SCR&billnumber=196&year=2026
Source: official Hawaii record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.