CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 90-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2397

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NEIGHBORHOOD BOARDS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to establish that, when a neighborhood board of the City and County of Honolulu has a vacancy:

(1) A majority of the filled seats shall constitute quorum for conducting official board business and holding discussions; and

(2) A majority vote of the members present at the board's meeting shall validate an act of the board as part of its official business.

Your Committee on Conference finds that frequent vacancies on neighborhood boards in the City and County of Honolulu often delay or prevent the achievement of quorum necessary for the boards to conduct official business, hold discussions, and vote on official acts of the board. By modifying the standard for quorum, this measure will improve the efficiency and productivity of the neighborhood boards in the City and County of Honolulu while increasing public trust in the community-level of governance.

Your Committee on Conference notes that it is the intent of your Committee on Conference to allow for only regular business and discussion at City and County of Honolulu neighborhood board meetings with the modified quorum constituting the majority of the board seats filled. Your Committee on Conference also notes that it is the intent of your Committee on Conference to preserve the number of neighborhood board members required to achieve quorum for voting as it currently exists in law. Furthermore, it is the intent of your Committee on Conference that the number of seats allotted for each neighborhood board not decrease in order to achieve quorum for the purpose of voting. Amendments to this measure are therefore necessary to reflect this intent.

Accordingly, your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have allowed the majority vote of the members present at a meeting at which quorum is established to validate any act of a neighborhood board as part of its official business; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2027.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS Chair	____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY Chair
	____________________________ KARL RHOADS Co-Chair