THE SENATE

KA AHA KENEKOA

 

THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2026

 

COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Senator Karl Rhoads, Chair

Senator Mike Gabbard, Vice Chair

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

 

DATE:

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

TIME:

9:05 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

 

SB 2143

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO THE CHIEF ELECTION OFFICER.

Provides that, in the event of a vacancy in the position of Chief Election Officer, the Attorney General shall serve as the Interim Chief Election Officer until the Elections Commission appoints a new Chief Election Officer.

 

JDC

SB 2239

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION.

Authorizes state agencies to makes applications for voter registration part of certain state agency application processes.  Facilitates the sharing of certain information among certain state agencies, election personnel, and online voter registration system.

 

JDC

SB 2721

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.

Implements recommendations pursuant to Act 245, SLH 2024 to amend the Hawaii Penal Code.

 

JDC

SB 2727

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION.

Lengthens the statute of limitations to file a complaint of discrimination with the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission to one year.

 

JDC

SB 2731

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO SENTENCING.

Limits the maximum term of imprisonment for misdemeanors, or for offenses punishable by up to or not exceeding one year, to three hundred sixty-four days.  Allows individuals previously sentenced to a one-year term of imprisonment to apply to the court for a sentence modification to conform to the new limit.

 

JDC

SB 2830

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO MISCONDUCT BY A PUBLIC SERVANT.

Extends the statute of limitations for offenses based on misconduct in office by a public servant to allow prosecution at any time during the defendant's period of public service and up to ten years thereafter.

 

JDC

SB 2914

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO LAWMAKER SAFETY.

Prohibits the public disclosure of legislators' personal contact information in a voter's affidavit of registration, nomination papers, and electronic database for campaign committees.

 

JDC

SB 3072

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO THEFT.

Requires a mandatory twelve-month minimum sentence of incarceration for a conviction of theft in the first degree when the value of the property or services stolen exceeds $250,000, whether imposed as a mandatory minimum sentence for an indeterminate term of imprisonment or as a condition of probation, in addition to any other authorized disposition such as restitution or a fine.

 

JDC

SB 3225

      Status & Testimony

A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATUTORY REVISION:  AMENDING OR REPEALING VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE HAWAII REVISED STATUTES OR THE SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII FOR THE PURPOSES OF CORRECTING ERRORS AND REFERENCES, CLARIFYING LANGUAGE, OR DELETING OBSOLETE OR UNNECESSARY PROVISIONS.

Amends or repeals various provisions of the HRS or the SLH for the purposes of correcting errors and references, clarifying language, or deleting obsolete or unnecessary provisions.

 

JDC

 

 

 

 

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