Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Hawaii State Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official page appears here in brackets. This is the first conference draft. The official bill page.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B. NO. 1891 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D. 1 STATE OF HAWAII S.D. 1 C.D. 1 A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII: SECTION 1. The legislature finds that in 1853, an estimated seventy-five per cent of the population in the Kingdom of Hawaii over the age of sixteen was literate. By 1878, eighty per cent were literate in Hawaiian, English, or a European language, making Hawaii one of the most literate nations in the world at the time. The legislature recognizes that the department of education is committed to preserving and honoring this legacy by ensuring that all students are proficient in reading by the time they graduate. The legislature further finds that, currently, just over half of Hawaii's students are reading proficiently. To improve student reading proficiency, it is necessary to address the root causes that contribute to the present levels of poor reading proficiency rates. A proactive and systematic approach is required to achieve high literacy rates for all students. Presently, the department of education is striving to address poor reading proficiency rates by administering a universal screening at the beginning, middle, and end of the year for all students from kindergarten to grade nine. The purpose of this universal screening is to identify students who may be at risk for reading failure, and to provide evidence-based interventions to support these students, in addition to core-structured literacy instruction. However, not all universal screenings are able to detect or identify students who may have certain underlying language challenges that impact learning. This is problematic because students with dyslexia or other developmental language disorders may need more intensive support or a more individualized intervention program to address the causes of their reading challenges. Unfortunately, Hawaii is the only state in the country that lacks dyslexia-specific laws to support students in this area. The legislature also finds that evidence shows that students who are not identified and brought to reading proficiency by third grade face significantly lower chances of success in the future. However, a substantial body of evidence also indicates that, with effective assessment and instruction, all students can learn to read. This includes students with language and literacy challenges and students who have dyslexia. The purpose of this Act is to support students with dyslexia and students with language and literacy challenges by: (1) Requiring department of education schools to administer department approved dyslexia sensitive linguistically appropriate universal screening as a part of the universal screening process; (2) Implementing evidence-based interventions for students who are identified as having dyslexia and students who are flagged as having language and literacy challenges through the Hawaii multi-tiered system of support; (3) Providing professional development for teachers to increase the implementation of structured literacy instruction; and (4) Supporting pre-service teacher programs in training their general and special education teacher candidates in structured literacy instruction. SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II, subpart C, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§302A- Dyslexia sensitive linguistically appropriate universal screening; evidence-based interventions; professional development; pre-service requirements. (a) Beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, all department schools shall administer dyslexia sensitive linguistically appropriate universal screening approved by the department for: (1) All students in kindergarten through third grade; and (2) Any new student entering a department school for the first time in the State. (b) The dyslexia sensitive linguistically appropriate universal screening shall be administered as part of the established universal screening process and shall also include, as developmentally appropriate, the following: (1) Phonological and phonemic awareness; (2) Sound symbol recognition; (3) Alphabet knowledge; (4) Decoding skills; (5) Rapid naming skills, including letter naming and letter sound fluency; (6) Encoding skills; (7) Oral reading accuracy and fluency; and (8) Oral language. (c) All department schools shall implement evidence-based interventions for students identified as having dyslexia and students who are flagged as struggling readers through the universal screening process. Interventions and progress monitoring of the identified students shall be implemented within the established Hawaii multi-tiered system of support framework. (d) The department shall provide professional learning opportunities for staff in complex areas and department schools on the implementation of structured literacy instruction and evidence-based interventions. (e) Structured literacy instruction, as required under this section, shall involve detailed, step-by-step instruction necessary for developing strong reading and writing skills. In addition to explicit and systematic instruction, a structured literacy approach shall provide multiple opportunities for students to practice a skill or strategy and require teachers to provide immediate, specific feedback to students and continuously monitor progress. (f) The department shall collaborate with pre-service teacher programs in higher education institutions to ensure general education teacher candidates and special education teacher candidates are trained on the implementation of structured literacy instruction to support all learners. (g) This section shall not apply to Hawaiian language immersion schools and charter schools. (h) For the purposes of this section: "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin and characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities, which typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language and literacy development that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences of dyslexia may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. "Dyslexia sensitive linguistically appropriate universal screening" means an assessment that measures a student's ability to demonstrate phonological and phonemic awareness; sound-symbol recognition; alphabet knowledge; decoding skills; rapid naming skills, including letter naming and letter sound fluency; encoding skills; oral reading accuracy and fluency; and accuracy of word reading on grade-level text. "Hawaii multi-tiered system of support" means a comprehensive continuum of evidence-based, systemic practices to support a rapid response to a student's needs, with regular observation to facilitate data-based instructional decision-making. "Phonological component of language and literacy development" means the ability to recognize that a spoken word consists of a sequence of individual sounds and the ability to manipulate individual sounds when speaking. "Structured literacy instruction" means an evidence-based approach that emphasizes explicit and systematic instruction in the following components of literacy: (1) Phonological awareness; (2) Phonics (decoding and spelling); (3) Fluency; (4) Vocabulary; (5) Comprehension; and (6) Written expression. "Universal screening" means the process of administering a brief standardized assessment to all students to identify those who are at risk of poor reading outcomes." SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
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