KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura, Chair |
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Senator Angus L.K. McKelvey, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 |
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TIME: |
1:01 PM |
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PLACE: |
Conference Room 225 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL
BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY
The Legislature is accepting written, videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.
A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.
A G E N D A
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RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. Allows a defendant to introduce certain evidence to receive a reduced sentence for certain offenses if the defendant can show that they were subjected to acts of family violence, dating violence, or child abuse, and that the acts were a significant contributing factor for the offense for which the defendant is being sentenced. Allows a defendant to introduce certain relevant evidence when raising the justification defenses of self defense or defense of others to show that the defendant was subjected to acts of family violence, dating violence, or child abuse by the alleged victim. Allows the circuit court imposing a criminal sentence to correct or reduce the sentence and to suspend or probate all or any part of the sentence imposed. Allows a person previously sentenced by a circuit court to petition the court to be re-sentenced to a reduced sentence if the defendant can show that they were subjected to acts of family violence, dating violence, or child abuse, and that the acts were a significant contributing factor for the offense for which the defendant was sentenced.
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HHS, JDC |
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RELATING TO OPIOID USE DISORDER TREATMENT. Authorizes licensed paramedics to administer buprenorphine after administration of an opioid antagonist in cases of opioid overdoses, under certain conditions. Requires the Department of Health to implement a phased pilot program in at least 1 county with verified linkage-to-care capacity and authorizes expansion of the program statewide as additional treatment resources become available. Requires a report to the Legislature evaluating program outcomes.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH. Establishes and appropriates funds for a one-year Digital Youth Mental Health Platform Pilot Project that will enable the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to develop and make publicly available a digital platform designed to help young people address and manage mental health challenges. Requires a report to the Legislature.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES. Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to issue supplemental contracts to community-based organizations to address increases in costs related to labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and gas.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. Establishes within the Executive Office on Aging the Hawaii Assistance for the Navigation of Alzheimer's Intervention (HANAI) program to support individuals in the State who have Alzheimer's disease. Appropriates moneys for the establishment of 4 full-time equivalent state dementia care specialist positions, one in each county and other expenses.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO ADOPTIONS. Adds the requirement that a written consent to adoption be notarized.
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HHS, JDC |
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RELATING TO THE UNIFORM PROBATE CODE. Provides for the temporary sealing of certain medical records and professional evaluations filed in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings pending a judicial determination on the need for continued sealing.
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HHS, JDC |
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RELATING TO AGGRAVATED CIRCUMSTANCES IN CHILD PROTECTIVE PROCEEDINGS. Expands the authority of the family court in child protective proceedings to find that aggravated circumstances are present at any stage prior to the termination of parental rights, not only at the outset of the case or the return hearing. Specifies what acts of torture against a child constitute aggravated circumstances.
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HHS, JDC |
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RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS. Requires the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to make an annual report on the number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and on housing placement. Requires the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to annually report to the Legislature on contracts and plans or proposals to enhance kauhale projects. Requires the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to annually report to the Legislature on coordination between the office and any county, state, or federal agencies, or private or nonprofit organizations.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO VETERANS. Repeals the specific deadline by which the Maui State Veterans Home must be assimilated into a state agency having a Maui affiliation. Requires the transfer of the Maui State Veterans Home to be completed as soon as practicable.
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HHS, WAM |
Decision Making to follow, if time permits.
All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.
Please go to the Legislature's website, https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the "Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony, you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.
Please note the following:
· The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify orally.
· Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 1 minute each.
If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a direct link to the instructions: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf
For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.
For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email HHScommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.
For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored. If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 808-586-6890.
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_____________________________________ Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura Chair |