Native Hawaiian Education Reauthorization Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-464
Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2015-02-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Advisory bodies
Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Elementary and secondary education
Hawaii
Language arts
Minority education
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: 

Native Hawaiian Education Reauthorization Act of 2015
 
Amends the Native Hawaiian Education Act to revise the duties and composition of the Native Hawaiian Education Council. (The Native Hawaiian Education Council coordinates the educational and related services and programs available to Native Hawaiians.) 
 Requires the Council to be composed of 15 members who: (1) are from certain educational, governmental, Trust, and grant-making entities; and (2) demonstrate at least five years of experience as consumers or providers of Native Hawaiian education or cultural activities. 
 
Directs the Council, in addition to its existing duties, to: (1) serve as a clearinghouse for the educational and related services and programs available to Native Hawaiians, and (2) provide technical assistance to Native Hawaiian organizations that apply for or receive Native Hawaiian Education program grants. 
 
Requires the Council to hold at least one community consultation each year on each of the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, and Kauai regarding Native Hawaiian education program grants and other education issues. Eliminates the requirement that the council meet at least four times each year with an island council composed of parents, students, and other Native Hawaiian education stakeholders.
 
Includes charter schools as eligible recipients of Native Hawaiian Education program grants, in addition to Native Hawaiian education organizations, Native Hawaiian community-based organizations, and public and private nonprofit entities.
 
Gives grant priority to programs that: (1) meet the educational priorities established by the Council; (2) repair and renovate public schools that serve high concentrations of Native Hawaiian students; (3) meet the unique cultural and language needs of Native Hawaiian students in order to help them meet challenging state academic achievement standards; and (4) involve states, local educational agencies, or institutions of higher education in partnerships or consortia.
 
Requires the Secretary of Education to use funds made available for Native Hawaiian Education program grants before this Act's enactment to support: (1) the development of a body of Native Hawaiian law; (2) the repair and renovation of public schools that serve high concentrations of Native Hawaiian students; (3) access to Hawaiian culture and history through digital archives; (4) informal education programs that connect traditional Hawaiian knowledge, science, astronomy, and the environment through state museums or learning centers; and (5) public charter schools serving high concentrations of Native Hawaiian students.
 
 Authorizes appropriations for such grants through FY2021.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2015-02-11
text: Introduced in Senate