HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Rep. David A. Tarnas, Chair |
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Rep. Mahina Poepoe, Vice Chair |
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Rep. Della Au Belatti |
Rep. Jackson D. Sayama |
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Rep. Elle Cochran |
Rep. Gregg Takayama |
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Rep. Mark J. Hashem |
Rep. Diamond Garcia |
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Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa |
Rep. Garner M. Shimizu |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Thursday, February 19, 2026 |
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TIME: |
2:00 PM |
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PLACE: |
VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE Conference Room 325 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
Click here to submit testimony and to testify remotely or in person.
A live stream link of all House Standing Committee meetings will be available online
shortly before the scheduled start time.
Click here for the live stream of this meeting via YouTube.
A G E N D A
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RELATING TO TOURISM. Repeals the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Establishes the Office of Tourism within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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TOU/WAL, JHA, FIN |
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RELATING TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM. Establishes factors under which officers may arrest and detain persons without a warrant for petty misdemeanors and violations, and requires officers to document the justification for the arrests. Amends the circumstances under which officers may issue citations in lieu of arrest. Requires officers to issue citations in lieu of arrest for certain petty misdemeanors and violations, unless public safety or flight risks are present or the alleged offense involves operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant or the abuse of family or household members. Requires the Judiciary to promulgate a standardized citation form and updates the required information for citations.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO PRETRIAL REFORM. Requires release on recognizance for defendants charged with violations, traffic offenses, nonviolent petty misdemeanors, nonviolent misdemeanors, and nonviolent class C felonies, subject to conditions. Establishes exclusions for specified offenses, threats to public safety, and wilful flight. Requires findings when bail or detention is imposed, ongoing review of continued detention or conditions, and a prompt hearing if bail cannot be posted. Requires prosecutors to notify victims of pretrial decisions.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO PRETRIAL RELEASE. Requires certain factors to be considered when determining a defendant's financial ability to afford bail.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO SENTENCING. Amends repeat offender sentencing provisions to allow sentencing courts, under certain circumstances, to sentence defendants in class C felony cases to probation with appropriate terms and conditions.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO EXPUNGEMENT ORDERS. Amends section 831-3.2, HRS, to reflect that a person who is arrested for or charged with a crime but convicted of a violation is eligible for an expungement of their arrest record for that incident.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO ELECTIONS. Establishes a process by which any political party continuously listed on the general election ballot for twenty or more years shall be deemed continuously qualified for ballot placement.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO HABITUAL VIOLENT CRIME. Amend Act 213, SLH 2024, by repealing its sunset date and requiring the Criminal Justice Research Institute to submit a one-time report to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2031. Requires the Attorney General, in consultation with Criminal Justice Research Institute, to submit ongoing annual reports to the Legislature.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO CERTIORARI REVIEW BY THE HAWAII SUPREME COURT. Establishes a fixed disposition deadline requiring the Supreme Court to decide an application for certiorari within 60 days after the application is filed. Applies prospectively to cases in which the judgment or dismissal order of the Intermediate Court of Appeals was filed on or after the effective date of this Act.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO VACANCIES. Amends the processes for addressing party candidate and state senator vacancies.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES. Expands the scope of persons who are subject to public financial disclosure requirements.
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JHA |
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RELATING TO POLITICAL FUNDRAISING BY EXECUTIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES. Prohibits any Executive Branch employee who is nominated or appointed by the Governor to a compensated position subject to confirmation by the Senate from engaging in certain campaign fundraising activities.
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JHA |
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DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW
Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Testimony received after this time will be stamped late and left to the discretion of the chair to consider. While every effort will be made to incorporate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed, may not be processed.
Testimony submitted will be placed on the legislative website. This public posting of testimony on the website should be considered when including personal information in your testimony.
The chair may institute a per-testifier time limit.
Committees meeting in the morning must adjourn prior to the day's Floor Session. Therefore, due to time constraints, not all testifiers may be provided an opportunity to offer verbal comments. However, written submissions will be considered by the committee.
Please refrain from profanity or uncivil behavior. Violations may result in ejection from the hearing without the ability to rejoin.
For remote testifiers, the House will not be responsible for bad connections on the testifier's end.
For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov.
The livestream and/or cable TV broadcast of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation (including oral, written, or ASL interpretive services) or are unable to submit testimony via the website due to a disability, please contact the committee clerk at (808) 586-6325. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.
Click here for a complete list of House Guidelines for remote testimony.
FOR AMENDED NOTICES: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are bolded.
For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk at (808) 586-6325.
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________________________________________ Rep. David A. Tarnas Chair |