HI HB439

Requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to establish a visiting international teacher license and define requirements for obtaining it to promote cultural and educational exchange between Hawaii and other countries.

Adds the visiting international teacher license as a new subsection (7) to Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 302A-802(c), which governs teacher licensing policies and pathways.

Directs the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days before the 2026 regular session on how to support international teachers in the state through the J-1 visa program.

Addresses the current classification of J-1 visa teachers as "emergency hires" requiring costly additional examinations, aligning Hawaii's licensing process with states like Alaska, Nevada, and North Carolina that have streamlined pathways for international educators.

Effective date is July 1, 3000.