THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	50
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the department of education to require one year of hawaiian language instruction as a graduation requirement in public schools.

 

 

     WHEREAS,   lelo Hawai i, the Hawaiian language, is the native language of the Native Hawaiian people; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaiian was a prevalent language throughout the Kingdom of Hawai i, becoming the language of government and the general public; and

 

     WHEREAS, after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai i and annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, English became the official language for government operations and society; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 1896, the republican government banned the teaching of Hawaiian language and required English language instruction in Hawaii schools; and

 

     WHEREAS, the number of fluent speakers of   lelo Hawai i significantly declined following the ban on the Hawaiian language; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Hawaiian language was considered to be nearly extinct by the 1980s, when there were fewer than fifty fluent speakers under the age of eighteen; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 1978, to recognize the importance of the Hawaiian language, the Hawaii State Constitution was amended to include the Hawaiian language as one of the two official languages of the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawai i is the only state in the United States that has designated a native language as one of its two official state languages; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 1990, the United States Congress passed the Native American Languages Act, recognizing the preservation, use, and support of Native American languages, including Hawaiian; and

 

     WHEREAS, educational initiatives such as  Aha P nana Leo's Hawaiian language immersion preschools, the Department of Education's Hawaiian language immersion program, and Hawaiian language programs at University of Hawai i System schools have been instrumental in saving and revitalizing the Hawaiian language; and

 

     WHEREAS, article X, section 4, of the Hawaii State Constitution, requires the State to "provide for a Hawaiian education program consisting of language, culture and history in public schools."; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education's Hawaiian Studies Program and Ka Papahana Kaiapuni Hawai i, the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program, were established in 1980 to promote the study of Hawaiian culture, language, and history for students in grades kindergarten through twelve; and

 

     WHEREAS, as of June 2025, there are twenty-two Department of Education schools and seven charter schools that offer Hawaiian language immersion education to students in grades kindergarten through twelve; and

 

     WHEREAS, while the Kaiapuni educational program is recognized globally as a successful language revitalization program, study of the Hawaiian language remains optional for students at public schools; and

 

     WHEREAS, requiring the Department of Education to make   lelo Hawai i a required course for graduation will promote a basic understanding of the Hawaiian language and further ensure the longevity and prosperity of the Hawaiian language; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the Department of Education is requested to require one year of Hawaiian language instruction as a graduation requirement in public schools; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Education.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

 

Report Title: 

DOE; Hawaiian Language; Graduation Requirement