Informing the Legislature that on May 29, 2025, the Governor signed the following bill into law: SB544 HD1 (ACT 122).

This law (SB 544 HD1) changes sentencing for minors convicted as adults in Hawaii. It requires judges to consider specific factors - including childhood trauma, victimization, developmental differences between minors and adults, peer pressure, and mental health - when sentencing individuals under 18 who committed offenses while minors. Judges may reduce mandatory minimum prison terms or depart from sentencing enhancements based on these factors. The law directly affects minors (under 18) tried as adults for crimes they committed during childhood, aiming to account for their developmental stage and circumstances.