KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
|
Senator Karl Rhoads, Chair |
|
Senator Mike Gabbard, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF HEARING
|
DATE: |
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 |
|
TIME: |
9:15 AM |
|
PLACE: |
Conference Room 016 & 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
|
PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII REGARDING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Proposes an amendment to Article I, Section 4, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to provide that the participation of non-natural persons in election activities and campaign finance activities may be regulated, restricted, or prohibited as provided by law.
|
JDC, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES. Expands the scope of persons who are required to file financial disclosures to include certain gubernatorial nominees subject to Senate confirmation. Makes technical amendments relating to legislators.
|
JDC, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. Prohibits state or county contractor's officers and any officer's immediate family, with contracts of $100,000 or more for goods or services or $250,000 or more for construction, from contributing to candidate or noncandidate committees, candidates, or any person for any political purpose for the duration of the contract. Prohibits grantees, grantees' officers and grantees' officer's immediate family, with grants of more than $100,000, from contributing to candidate or noncandidate committees, candidates, or any person for any political purpose for the duration of the grant. Requires any unlawful contribution to be returned to the contributor or it will escheat to the Hawaii election campaign fund.
|
JDC, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO PRETRIAL RELEASE. Requires certain factors to be considered when determining a defendant's financial ability to afford bail.
|
JDC, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION. Prohibits discrimination based on: (1) The perception that a person possesses certain characteristics; (2) The perception that a person is associated with a person who possesses, or is perceived to possess, certain characteristics; or (3) The intersection or combination of two or more specified characteristics in relation to a person.
|
JDC, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER. Appropriates funds to the Office of the Public Defender for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Deputy Public Defender III position.
|
JDC, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO TOBACCO ENFORCEMENT. Updates tobacco enforcement laws to confirm the authority of the Department of Taxation and the Department of the Attorney General to inspect and seize tobacco products, including electronic smoking devices and e-liquids, and clarify that untaxed tobacco products are subject to forfeiture as contraband, without regard to the procedures set forth in chapter 712A, HRS, in the same manner as untaxed cigarettes.
|
JDC, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO PROCEDURES FOR TAX APPEALS. Requires a tax to be paid before the courts may entertain a second appeal on the merits of the dispute. Requires a taxpayer who partially prevailed during the taxpayer's first appeal to pay the amount determined to be due in that first appeal, rather than the entire assessment, in order to make a subsequent appeal.
|
JDC, WAM |
|
|
RELATING TO THE PROCEDURE FOR PAYMENT UNDER PROTEST LAWSUITS. Clarifies and adds procedural safeguards to section 40-35, HRS, which relates to payments to the State under protest.
|
JDC, 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 2 minutes 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 JDCcommittee@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 808-586-6130.
|
|
|
_____________________________________ Senator Karl Rhoads Chair |
|
|
|
|