STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1586-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2494

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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2494 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CORRUPTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a statute of limitations of nine years for a bribery offense.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that when conduct giving rise to a bribery offense is investigated or prosecuted at the federal level, the length of those proceedings may prevent the State from timely pursuing prosecution under existing statutes of limitations. Your Committee further finds that extending the statute of limitations for bribery will help ensure that serious offenses involving public corruption may be prosecuted by the State when appropriate and will promote accountability and public confidence in government.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2494, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2494, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair