STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2411

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2343

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2343 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LEGISLATURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Legislative Reference Bureau, in collaboration with the Department of Budget and Finance, to conduct a study on the costs, savings, and potential productivity changes of transitioning to a continuous legislative calendar;

(2) Require a report of the study to the Legislature; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the Legislative Reference Bureau to conduct the study.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Imua Alliance and one individual.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, Legislative Reference Bureau, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that pursuant to H.C.R. No. 138, H.D. 1, S.D. 1 (2024), the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) completed a study in December 2025 examining the feasibility of lengthening or establishing a continuous Regular Session of the Legislature. Your Committee further finds that LRB's study concluded that the absence of a defined session framework and objective productivity standards limited its ability to provide a conclusive fiscal analysis. This measure seeks to obtain additional detailed fiscal and comparative information by requiring the LRB to conduct another study analyzing historical session costs, projected expenses associated with a continuous calendar, and comparisons with other state legislatures that operate on a more extended basis.

Your Committee acknowledges the concerns raised in testimony by the LRB that this measure would require another study without first defining the duration, structure, staffing assumptions, or objective standards for measuring productivity necessary to produce a meaningful fiscal and operational analysis, and that the proposed timeline and procurement requirements would likely render the study inconclusive or impracticable. Your Committee notes that S.B. No. 3216, Regular Session of 2026, addresses these concerns by establishing a legislatively-led working group to develop a defined framework and policy recommendations before further fiscal analysis is undertaken.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its contents and inserting the contents of S.B. No. 3216, a measure that:

(A) Establishes a Regular Session Review Working Group to determine the essential timing and effective framework for a lengthened legislative session calendar for election and non-election years;

(B) Requires the Working Group to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature before the convening of the Regular Session of 2028;

(C) Requires the Legislative Reference Bureau to assist the Working Group in finalizing its report and drafting any proposed legislation; and

(D) Appropriates fund to facilitate meetings of the regular session review working group;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2525, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2343, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2343, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

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ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair