HI SCR38

Urges the Department of Education to implement a Hawaiian language requirement as part of high school graduation requirements, parallel to existing English language requirements

Acknowledges that ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) nearly became extinct by the 1980s when fewer than fifty fluent speakers under age eighteen remained

Notes that an 1896 law requiring English instruction in Hawaii schools functionally banned students from speaking Hawaiian at school, contributing to the language's deterioration

Recognizes the Hawaii Constitution's 1978 amendment designating Hawaiian as one of two official state languages and historical revitalization efforts including immersion programs and university courses

Directs certified copies of the resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent and Chairperson of the Board of Education