SB 844

THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
844
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to media literacy.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
���� SECTION 1.� The legislature finds that education is the
bedrock of a healthy democracy.� To
advance the fundamental democratic principles of equality, liberty, and justice
for all, a quality school system must deliver instruction that is historically
and scientifically accurate and free from discrimination.
���� The legislature further finds that
disinformation, misinformation, digital discrimination, and online hate speech
are pervasive threats to modern society.�
In a June 2019 report entitled, "Hate Speech on Social Media: �Global Comparisons", the Council on
Foreign Relations noted that digital hate speech has been linked to a global
increase in violence toward minorities and that policies used to curb hate
speech are often inconsistently enforced by social media companies.� Additionally, disinformation and online hate
speech have been linked to outbursts of violence in the real world, including
mass shootings at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, and a synagogue in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as the insurrection that occurred at the
United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.�
Moreover, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) vaccine monitor report published in November 2021, more than seventy-eight
per cent of adults in the United States believed or were unsure about at least
one of eight false statements about the COVID-19 pandemic or COVID-19 vaccines.
���� The purpose of this Act is to
advance informed digital citizenship in Hawaii's public education system by
empowering school complexes to incorporate media literacy into standards-based
curriculum as appropriate, including content that prevents the negative impacts
of misinformation, disinformation, digital discrimination, and online hate
speech.
���� SECTION 2.� Section 302A-321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:
���� "[[[]]�302A-321[[]]]� Standards-based curriculum. �(a)�
When developing a standards-based curriculum and implementing it in a
school or complex, at the minimum, the curriculum shall:
���� (1)� Be specific in its standards-based scope and
sequence over a school year for each grade level and course;
���� (2)� Be consistent in course content;
���� (3)� Be aligned across all grade levels;
���� (4)� Specifically address the state content and
performance standards and related benchmark maps; and
���� (5)� Be implemented in all appropriate classrooms
in the school or complex.
���� (b)� School complexes may choose to develop an
articulated and aligned K-12 standards-based curriculum in one or more of the
following core content areas:
���� (1)� Language arts;
���� (2)� Mathematics;
���� (3)� Science; and
���� (4)� Social studies.
���� (c)� School complexes shall provide professional
development.
���� (d)� School complexes that develop a
standards-based curriculum shall use standards-based formative assessment tools
to monitor student progress, not less than on a quarterly basis throughout the
school year.
���� (e)� School complexes shall develop rigorous
classroom-based performance assessments.
���� (f)� School complexes may implement software
programs at the school level to help to align school course material with
Hawaii content and performance and federal educational standards.
���� (g)� School complexes may incorporate media
literacy into standards-based curriculum as appropriate, including content that
prevents the negative impacts of misinformation, disinformation, digital
discrimination, and online hate speech."
���� SECTION
3.� Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.� New statutory
material is underscored.
���� SECTION 4.� This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Standard-based
Curriculum; Digital Citizenship; Public Schools; Media Literacy
Description:
Authorizes school complexes to incorporate media literacy
in their standards-based curriculum, including content that prevents negative
impacts of misinformation, disinformation, digital discrimination, and online
hate speech.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.