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: |
Wednesday, March 18, 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 PRIVATE SUPPORT OF EDUCATION. Clarifies that free tuition at private educational institutions or school-conditioned enrollment at private educational institutions where no tuition or other monetary consideration is required or paid by the recipient are to be considered conditional gifts that support educational advancements rather than contractual obligations unless the parties agree otherwise in writing. (SD1)
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JHA |
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RELATING TO CIVIL INTERFERENCE WITH CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY RIGHTS. Establishes a civil cause of action for interference with constitutional and statutory rights through threats, intimidation, or coercion. Authorizes private rights of action. Authorizes actions to be brought by the Attorney General, County Corporation Counsel, or County Attorney. Authorizes injunctive relief, declaratory relief, and certain monetary relief. Includes protections for constitutionally protected speech. (SD1)
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JHA |
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RELATING TO DANGEROUS INTOXICATION. Establishes the offenses of dangerous intoxication and habitual dangerous intoxication. Provides for civil protective custody and transport for emergency examination under section 334-45, HRS, in lieu of arrest for dangerous intoxication in specified circumstances, and bars prosecution when civil protective custody is used. Requires probation with mandatory treatment for habitual dangerous intoxication, with incarceration only upon probation violation. Makes conforming amendments to chapter 334, HRS. Effective 1/30/2050. Implementation effective 7/1/2036. (SD2)
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JHA |
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RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY. Establishes a class C felony penalty for the unlawful possession, control, or transfer of a firearm or ammunition in violation of a valid judicial protective order or restraining order. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JHA |
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RELATING TO GAMBLING ENFORCEMENT. Establishes the criminal offense of promoting an illegal electronic gambling device. Authorizes civil penalties and actions relating to premises on which an illegal electronic gambling device has been used. Allows the Attorney General, any county prosecuting attorney, any county police chief, or the Director of Law Enforcement to take certain actions against places used to commit certain offenses that qualify as a nuisance. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JHA |
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RELATING TO SENTENCING. Limits the maximum term of imprisonment for misdemeanors that are not crimes of violence, or for offenses that are not crimes of violence 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 for an offense that is not a crime of violence to apply to the court for a sentence modification to conform to the new limit. (SD1)
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JHA |
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RELATING TO BRIBERY. Establishes the offense of failure to report bribery by a state elected official as a misdemeanor. Requires a state elected official who knows of or witnesses the conferring, offering, solicitation, or acceptance of a pecuniary benefit in violation of the bribery statute to report the conduct to the Department of the Attorney General, a county prosecuting attorney, a law enforcement agency, the State Ethics Commission, or a county ethics board within sixty days. Defines "state elected official". Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JHA |
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RELATING TO WRONGFUL IMPRISONMENT. Establishes the procedure that a court of the State shall follow upon the reversal or vacation of an individual's judgment or conviction on grounds consistent with innocence, and where the charges were dismissed. Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to notify the Department of Human Services to assign a case manager to a petitioner upon the petitioner's release. Requires the State to provide medical coverage to a person for a certain duration upon the reversal or vacation of a person's judgment of conviction on grounds consistent with innocence and where the charges were dismissed. Clarifies that any benefits that a petitioner is qualified for, including any benefits under chapter 346, HRS, continue until the petitioner is gainfully employed or no longer qualifies for the benefits. Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide a state identification card to a petitioner upon release. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to submit an annual report to the Legislature. Clarifies that a person whose judgment of conviction was reversed or vacated, or who was pardoned, on grounds consistent with innocence, and where the charges were dismissed, may petition for compensation. Requires the State to prove by a preponderance of evidence that the reversal or vacation of the order of conviction for a petitioner, or the pardoning of the petitioner, was inconsistent with innocence. Specifies that any award under chapter 661B, HRS, is only to settle claims with the State and not any third party. Prohibits the Attorney General from offsetting third-party claims against an award made under chapter 661B, HRS. Effective 1/1/2525. (SD2)
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JHA, PBS, FIN |
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RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES. Establishes the offense of criminal destruction of a tree on state or county property, punishable as a misdemeanor. Effective 1/1/2525. (SD1)
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JHA |
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RELATING TO PARTIAL PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS. Increases the expenditure limit and the amount of partial public campaign financing available for all elective offices. Adjusts the minimum amount of qualifying contributions certain candidates must receive to participate in the program. Increases the matching fund payments for excess qualifying contributions. Appropriates funds for the program. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JHA, FIN |
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RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE. Provides that the period of limitations for criminal prosecutions under campaign finance laws commences upon discovery of the offense by the Campaign Spending Commission, rather than being limited to five years from the violation date or report filing date. (SD1)
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JHA |
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RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE. Prohibits foreign entities and foreign-influenced business entities from making contributions, expenditures, electioneering communications, or donations for election purposes. Requires every business entity that contributes or expends funds in a state election to certify that the entity was not a foreign corporation or foreign-influenced business entity when the contribution or expenditure was made. Specifies that if the conditions that determine whether a business entity qualifies as a foreign-influenced business entity are held unconstitutional by a final judgment, including all appeals, the Campaign Spending Commission is required to establish revised conditions that are constitutional. Requires noncandidate committees making only independent expenditures to obtain a statement of certification from each top contributor required to be listed in an advertisement avowing that no funds were derived from foreign entities or foreign-influenced business entities. Exempts entities engaged in transporting cargo and subject to section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. Effective 1/1/2028. (SD2)
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JHA, FIN |
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.
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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 |
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