HB625 establishes a new incentive program within the Hawaii Department of Education for school psychologists who earn and maintain the Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential from the National Association of School Psychologists. The program is intended to recognize exemplary practice and encourage certification by offering annual bonus payments, partial reimbursement of certification application costs, and an additional annual bonus for psychologists serving students in hard-to-fill areas as defined by the department.
The bill also appropriates general funds for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to pay for the incentive program, and authorizes the department to adopt rules to implement it. As drafted, the measure would amend Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by adding a new section specifically addressing this incentive structure for Department of Education school psychologists.
Impact
If enacted, HB625 would create a new statutory incentive program in Chapter 302A for nationally certified school psychologists employed by the Department of Education, while also requiring state appropriations to fund the bonuses and fee reimbursements. It would affect state education personnel policy, compensation, and recruitment/retention efforts for school psychology services, particularly in hard-to-fill areas. The bill does not alter student discipline or special education eligibility rules directly, but it would likely influence the availability of psychological services in public schools.
Sentiment
The available bill materials suggest a generally supportive intent focused on workforce recruitment, professional recognition, and service coverage in underserved areas. The report title and structure frame the measure as a targeted education workforce incentive rather than a controversial policy change. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented opposition or formal debate in the supplied materials.
Contention
The main practical issue in the bill text is that several dollar amounts are left blank, indicating unresolved fiscal details that would need to be filled in before final enactment. Potential points of contention would likely center on the cost of the incentive program, whether bonuses and reimbursements are the best use of general funds, and how the Department of Education would define and administer the additional payment for hard-to-fill areas. Because no hearing transcripts or votes are included, no specific legislators, agencies, or stakeholder groups are identified as opposing or supporting these provisions in the record provided.