HB 1848 Summary

• Establishes the Hawaii Student Journalism Protection Act to protect freedom of speech and press for student journalists at public schools and University of Hawaii in school-sponsored and university-sponsored media.

• Student journalists cannot be disciplined for exercising protected speech and are responsible for determining news, opinion, feature, and advertising content in school/university-sponsored media.

• Prohibits prior censorship of student media except for libelous content, invasion of privacy, violations of law, obscene material, or speech creating clear and present danger of unlawful acts or material school disruption based on specific facts rather than generalized fear.

• Protects student media advisors from dismissal, suspension, discipline, reassignment, or retaliation for protecting student journalists or refusing to censor protected speech.

• Requires Department of Education and University of Hawaii Board of Regents to adopt written policies for student journalism protections including reasonable distribution provisions and timely appeal procedures for censorship decisions.