Bill Text: HI HB620 | 2025 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Relating To Education.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-2)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-28 - Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1101), recommending passage on Third Reading. [HB620 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2025-HB620-Amended.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	620
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Hawaii Braille Literacy Education Act.

     SECTION 2.  The legislature finds that literacy skills are fundamental to success in education, employment, and life for all members of society.  Braille is widely understood as an essential literacy tool for low vision and blind individuals.  A 2018 study from the Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research found that individuals who were braille readers since childhood reported higher levels of life-satisfaction, self-esteem, and job satisfaction than individuals who had not used braille as their primary reading medium during childhood.

     The legislature further finds that braille literacy skills are essential for low vision and blind students to learn, seek and maintain remunerative employment, and access the opportunities in life open to all regardless of disability.  Although one hundred sixty students in Hawaii are registered with the American Printing House for the Blind to receive special education materials, only seventeen students have braille services in their special education programs.  The legislature believes that it is in the interest of the State to promote braille instruction and ensure timely access to braille instructional materials for low vision and blind students, their parents and teachers, and other school personnel to ensure all of Hawaii's students have access to appropriate educational services.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:

     (1)  Require the department of education to include the instruction of braille and provision of braille instructional materials under certain circumstances;

     (2)  Require the department of education to establish and maintain a braille literacy resource center; and

     (3)  Appropriate funds.

     SECTION 3.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new part to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"Part    .  braille services

     §302A-A  Policy.  It is the policy of the State to promote braille literacy and support the provision of braille educational services needed for eligible blind students to fully participate in school and prepare for life after school ends.

     §302A-B  Definitions.  For the purposes of this part:

     "Braille" means the system of reading and writing through touch commonly known as standard English braille.

     "Braille educational services" means:

     (1)  Instruction in reading and writing in braille; and

     (2)  The provision of braille instructional materials.

     "Braille instructional materials" means print instructional materials, as defined in section 302A-442.5, that are printed in braille.

     "Eligible blind student" means an elementary or secondary school student who:

     (1)  Is eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as amended;

     (2)  Is approved as an eligible person, as defined in section 121(d)(3) of the Copyright Act of 1976 (17 U.S.C. 121(d)(3)), as amended; and

     (3)  Attends a department school, a private school under chapter 302C, a public charter school under chapter 302D, or an approved alternative education program under section 302A-1132(a)(5),

and is blind or visually handicapped.

     "Individualized education program" and "individualized education program team" have the same meanings as in section 614(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. section 1414(d)), as amended.

     "Section 504 plan" and "section 504 plan team" mean a formal plan for how a school will ensure equal educational opportunity is provided to a student with a disability as required under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. section 791), as amended.

     §302A-C  Braille educational services; eligible blind students; braille instructional materials.  (a)  The individualized education program or section 504 plan for an eligible blind student shall include instruction in braille and provision of braille instructional materials unless the individualized education program team or section 504 plan team determines that the instruction or materials are not necessary for the student.

     (b)  Every individualized education program or section 504 plan for an eligible blind student shall include an assessment of an eligible blind student's reading and writing ability and needs for braille educational services, including the student's current and future needs for instruction in braille or the use of braille.

     (c)  If braille instruction is included in the eligible blind student's individualized education program, the individualized education program shall:

     (1)  Document:

          (A)  The results of current braille reading and writing assessments of the student, if any;

          (B)  The date on which braille literacy instruction will commence;

          (C)  The length of the period of instruction and the frequency and duration of each instructional session;

          (D)  Performance goals for the end of the period and the objective assessment measures to be used; and

          (E)  The braille instructional materials used and whether the materials were provided at the same time as the corresponding print materials were provided to other students; and

     (2)  Summarize how use of acquired braille skills and braille instructional materials will be incorporated into the student's general education program and daily activities.

     (d)  If the individualized education program team decides that braille literacy instruction is not necessary for an eligible blind student in accordance with subsection (a), the student's individualized education program shall:

     (1)  Document the student's:

          (A)  Visual condition, including cause, visual acuity, field of vision, visual functioning over time, stability of the condition, and prognosis; and

          (B)  Ability to achieve at least grade level reading and writing proficiency without regard to the use of braille, as expected of the student's peers of comparable ability to learn and progress from grade to grade in school;

     (2)  Identify the literacy assessment tools and methods used;

     (3)  Evaluate the student's current and future needs for braille instruction and braille instructional materials; and

     (4)  Provide the date of the student's next literacy assessment, if one is to be conducted, not to exceed twelve months from the previous assessment."

     SECTION 4.  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-D  Braille literacy resource center; establishment; duties; rules.  (a)  The department shall establish and maintain a braille literacy resource center that shall:

     (1)  Advocate for braille literacy and the provision of braille educational services to eligible blind students;

     (2)  Obtain instructional materials in braille as needed;

     (3)  Acquire, maintain, and make available studies, reports, and other authoritative information about the efficacy of instruction in braille and braille instructional materials;

     (4)  Ensure that each eligible blind student is registered with the department of human services pursuant to section 347-6;

     (5)  For each student registered pursuant to paragraph (4), provide the parent or legal guardian and, as appropriate, the student with comprehensive information about braille literacy instruction, braille instructional materials, assistive technology devices, and assistive technology services, including tools and options available to assess the student's braille literacy needs; and

     (6)  When requested by a member of an individualized education program team, section 504 plan team or, as appropriate, an eligible blind student, participate in the development of the student's individualized education program or section 504 plan.

     (b)  The department shall designate an individual from the braille literacy resource center to serve as the ex officio member of the board of trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind pursuant to the federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind title 20 United States Code 101 et seq., as amended.

     (c)  The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to carry out the purposes of this section.

     (d)  For purposes of this section:

     "Assistive technology device", "assistive technology service", and "braille" have the same meaning as defined in section 302A-442.5.

     "Braille educational services" has the same meaning as in section 302A-B.

     "Braille instructional materials" has the same meaning as in section 302A-B.

     "Eligible blind student" has the same meaning as in section 302A-B.

     "Individualized education program" has the same meaning as in section 302A-B.

     "Individualized education program team" has the same meaning as in section 302A-B.

     "Section 504 plan" has the same meaning as in section 302A-B.

     "Section 504 plan team" has the same meaning as in section 302A-B."

     SECTION 5.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to establish and operate the braille literacy resource center established by this Act.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 6.  In codifying the new sections added by sections 3 and 4 of this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute appropriate section numbers for the letters used in designating the new sections in this Act.

     SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

 

 

Report Title:

DOE; Braille Literacy Instruction; Braille Literacy Materials; Braille Literacy Resource Center; Appropriation

 

Description:

Establishes state policy to promote braille literacy for eligible blind students.  Requires the individualized education programs and section 504 plans of eligible blind students to include the assessment and evaluation of eligible blind students' reading and writing abilities, instruction of braille, and provision of braille instructional materials under certain circumstances.  Requires the Department of Education to establish a Braille Literacy Resource Center.  Appropriates funds.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

 

 

 

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