Bill
HCR 125
HCR 125 asks UH to prioritize a capital project to build Halau o Kawaihuelani, a consolidated Hawaiian language and studies facility with offices, classrooms, and a performing arts
Status and basic info
- Bill number: HCR 125 (Concurrent Resolution)
- Title: Requesting the University of Hawaii to prioritize a capital improvement project to construct “Halau o Kawaihuelani”
- Introduced: April 1, 2025
- Status: Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 531); adopted by the House 4/3/2025; referred through HED → FIN and to a subcommittee on State‑Federal Relations; reported recommending adoption (FIN). Companion: HR 121.
- Primary sponsors: Reps. Holt; Keohokapu‑Lee Loy; Reyes Oda; Kahaloa; Olds; Poepoe.
Purpose and intent
- The resolution asks the University of Hawaii (UH) to prioritize a capital improvement project (CIP) to build “Halau o Kawaihuelani,” a new office, classroom, and performing arts facility to consolidate and expand Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies programs at UH Mānoa.
- It frames the request in the context of Hawai‘i’s Constitution (Art. XV, §4 — Hawaiian and English as official languages) and UH Mānoa’s designation as a “Hawaiian Place of Learning” / indigenous‑serving institution.
Key provisions / requests
- UH is requested to prioritize a CIP to construct Halau o Kawaihuelani, envisioned to include:
- Offices for the Dean of the Hawaiʻinuiākea School and staff;
- Offices and workspaces for Kawaihuelani Center faculty and staff;
- Hawaiian language classrooms (supporting undergraduate and graduate instruction);
- A performing arts facility for Hawaiian music, dance, and theater.
- Directs certified copies of the concurrent resolution be sent to: Chair of the UH Board of Regents; UH President; UH Mānoa Provost; Dean of Hawaiʻinuiākea School; Directors of Kawaihuelani Center and Kamakakūokalani Center.
Background / rationale
- The Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language and the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies collectively teach thousands of students: Kawaihuelani enrolled 80+ undergraduate/graduate majors in 2024–25 and teaches nearly 1,000 students each semester; together the centers serve over 4,000 students annually in general education, Hawaiian, and second‑language courses.
- Growth in programs, faculty, and new graduate initiatives (a planned joint Ph.D. in ʻIke Kūpuna requiring graduate‑level Hawaiian fluency) has created space constraints. Current offices are physically separated (Spalding Hall vs. Kamakakūokalani building, ~½ mile apart), which the resolution says hampers collaboration and curricular innovation.
Who is affected / potential impact
- Directly affected: UH administration and UH Mānoa (Hawaiʻinuiākea School, Kawaihuelani and Kamakakūokalani Centers), faculty, staff, Hawaiian language students, and performing arts programs.
- Potential impacts if UH prioritizes and later funds construction:
- Improved co‑location and administrative/academic coordination;
- Additional classroom and performance space to support teaching, cultural practice, and research;
- Support for teacher pipeline for Kula Kaiapuni immersion programs and for planned doctoral education in Hawaiian knowledge.
- Note: As a concurrent resolution, HCR 125 is a non‑binding request; it does not appropriate funds or mandate construction. Its primary effect is to encourage UH to place the project higher in CIP planning and request processes, which may influence future budget requests to the Legislature.
Procedural notes / timeline
- HED recommended passage with amendments (HD1); FIN reported recommending adoption; House adopted on 4/3/2025. The resolution awaits Senate concurrence and any UH action on CIP prioritization. Recipients designated for certified copies are the UH governing and academic leaders listed above.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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