STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1320-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2054

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred S.B. No. 2054, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit the Hawaii National Guard from deploying to assist federal troops, federal law enforcement, or the National Guard of any other state operating in Hawaii when the Governor has objected in writing to the deployments.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi; The Legal Clinic; League of Women Voters of Hawaii; UNITE HERE Local 5; Libertarian Party of Hawaii; Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association; Imua Alliance; Roots Reborn; Matriarchy Rising; Kona Indivisible; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaiʻi National Guard. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Military Affairs Council.

Your Committee finds that the current presidential administration has recently federalized and deployed National Guard units in various states, despite the objections of those states' Governors. These deployments have resulted in serious abuses of civil rights against the residents of those states, including the excessive use of force, racial profiling, and illegal detention. Your Committee believes that this measure is necessary to protect the State's sovereignty and to prevent state resources, including the Hawaii National Guard, from being co-opted into federal operations that lack the consent of the State's government.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing facilities, property, and equipment from the types of resources that the Hawaii National Guard is prohibited from using to assist, cooperate with, or facilitate an operation by federal troops, federal law enforcement, or the National Guard of any other state;

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purpose of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2054, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2054, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair