Requesting The Department Of Education And State Public Charter School Commission To Collaborate With The Division Of Aquatic Resources Of The Department Of Land And Natural Resources To Develop And Propose A Framework For A Student Coral Stewardship Program.
SCR19 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution requesting the Department of Education and the State Public Charter School Commission to work with the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources to develop a framework for a Student Coral Stewardship Program. The resolution is aimed at creating a student-led, educational, and voluntary program focused on public outreach, reef-safe sunscreen awareness, and community engagement at state beaches. It emphasizes that the program should be informed by current scientific research and may include educational materials and student outreach activities.
The resolution is rooted in concerns about the condition of Hawaii’s coral reefs, which the bill describes as vital to the environment, culture, shoreline protection, and economy but threatened by climate change, pollution, and human activity. It also ties the proposal to existing state policy, noting Act 104 from 2018, which restricted the sale and distribution of certain reef-harming sunscreens. SCR19 further calls for a report to the Legislature by early 2027 summarizing collaboration efforts and recommending any needed legislative, policy, or funding changes to support coral reef protection and student stewardship initiatives.
Because SCR19 is a concurrent resolution rather than a bill that amends statutes, it does not directly change state law or create enforceable requirements. Instead, it requests interagency collaboration among DOE, the Public Charter School Commission, and DLNR to design a program framework and report back to the Legislature. Its practical impact would be to encourage educational programming, student participation, and public awareness efforts related to coral reef conservation and reef-safe sunscreen use, potentially informing future legislation or funding decisions.
The overall sentiment around SCR19 appears supportive and positive. The resolution frames the issue as both an environmental protection measure and a youth education opportunity, and the available vote history shows the Senate Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee passed it unanimously with amendments (4-0). The bill’s language also reflects broad alignment around coral reef protection, public education, and student engagement.
There is little visible opposition in the available materials, but the resolution does acknowledge practical barriers to reef-safe behavior, including limited access, higher cost, and lack of information about reef-safe sunscreen. The main policy emphasis is on education and voluntary participation rather than enforcement, which suggests an effort to avoid controversy associated with mandates. Any potential points of debate would likely center on implementation details, funding, and how much responsibility should be placed on schools and students versus environmental agencies.