THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	194
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU TO SUMMARIZE THE LAWS IN OTHER STATES THAT PROVIDE FOR A CONTINUOUS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

WHEREAS, the legislative process allows Hawaii's people to engage with policy to create meaningful change for the State; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to article III, section 10, of the Hawaii State Constitution, the Legislature only has sixty to seventy-five session days, generally stretching from the middle of January until early May to conduct its business during a regular session; and

WHEREAS, the compressed, rushed legislative process may inhibit the public from participating and advocating at the Legislature; and

WHEREAS, individuals who are not full-time employed in advocacy may have an easier time participating in the legislative process if the timetable and deadlines were not as compressed; and

WHEREAS, efficiency, productivity, orderliness, and transparency of the Legislature could be improved by requiring that the Legislature be in session during every month of the year; and

WHEREAS, creating greater transparency of the legislative process for State's citizens will allow more individuals to engage in the policymaking process while also creating more opportunities for legislators to make informed policy decisions; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to summarize the laws in other states that provide for the continuous session of their legislatures and, to the extent such information is available, the policy reasons for those state's laws; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to submit the summary to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Report Title:

Continuous Legislative Session; Legislative Reference Bureau; Study