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Committee adopts Senate text and passes braille literacy bill after broad support from advocates and agencies
Summary
The committee passed House Bill 620 HD1 with amendments replacing its contents with Senate Bill 530 SD1 to reflect stakeholder input; testimony emphasized early braille instruction, while the Department of Education urged inclusive wording and noted resource needs and federal IEP constraints.
The Senate Committee on Education on March 10 passed House Bill 620 HD1 after substituting the contents of Senate Bill 530 SD1, a change the committee said would incorporate stakeholder feedback and allow the Department of Education to implement the bill's intent.
Kina O'Gardner, assistant superintendent for the Office of Student Support Services, testified for the Department of Education and said the department "supports the intent of this measure" while proposing amendments to ensure the language is inclusive of all students with low vision or blindness and aligns with federal individualized education program (IEP) requirements. O'Gardner also told the committee that carrying out the bill's mandates would require resources.
Several advocates from the National Federation of the Blind and other witnesses spoke in strong support. "I stand in strong support of this bill," said Katie Kim, who described how early braille instruction can give students independence and academic parity with sighted peers. Donald Sakamoto, a member of the National Federation of the Blind, said he supported adopting the bill without changes and recounted learning braille later in life, saying early instruction helps students pursue higher education and careers.
Randall Watt, a former attorney general offering comments, urged a technical change: he recommended removing a provision in the bill (noted in the transcript as new section 302(a)(3)(B), lines 1–6 on page 5) that would mandate specific assessments in IEPs because federal law leaves assessment determinations to the IEP team.
James Gashel, legislative chair for the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, recommended substituting SB 530 SD1 for the House text because SB 530 SD1 already incorporated the attorney general's amendment and stakeholder feedback; the committee adopted that approach. During the decision session the committee voted to delete the House language and insert the Senate text (SB 530 SD1), and the recommendation to pass with amendments was adopted with all five members voting aye.
Votes at a glance: House Bill 620 HD1 (substituted with SB 530 SD1) — Passed with amendments; Chair Kidani: aye; Vice Chair Kim: aye; Senator Hashimoto: aye; Senator Keating Hall: aye; Senator McCoy: aye.
The committee said adopting the Senate text would help ensure the bill reflects stakeholder input and addresses technical concerns raised by the Department of Education and the attorney general.
