STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2801

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2494

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, 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 and intent 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, Nation of Hawaiʻi, Kupuna for the Moopuna, HULI PAC, and eighteen individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of the Public Defender.

Your Committee finds that since federal investigations and prosecutions take precedence over any state investigation and prosecution, issues can arise when the length of a federal investigation precludes the statute of limitations for any prosecution of a crime under state law. Your Committee further finds that bribery cases can extend past the state statute of limitations due to the long-term systemic misconduct and case complexity. Therefore, this measure will streamline cooperation with federal investigations and allow the State to effectively conduct additional thorough investigations.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2494 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair