HB 2061 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO FIREARMS.

HB 2061 appropriates state funds to establish a gun buyback program, requiring at least two buyback events in every county each year. The bill directly affects residents who may participate in these events to exchange firearms for cash. Key provisions include dedicated funding allocation for program operations and mandatory event scheduling across all counties. This policy change creates a structured, statewide initiative for firearm buybacks without altering gun ownership laws.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Last action Feb 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB2061 → HB2061_HD1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to reflect House District 1 changes, updating authorship and metadata. The most significant substantive change is the effective date of the gun buyback appropriation, which was moved from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 3000, likely to prevent the funds from expiring prematurely. Additionally, the funding source description was updated from 'moneys' to 'funds', and the sponsor's name was changed from Valerie Grey to Chelsea Dugan.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the gun buyback program remains unchanged; it still appropriates funds for two events per county. The only substantive scope alteration is the indefinite extension of the appropriation's effective date.

TIMELINE

The effective date for the appropriation was changed from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 3000, ensuring the funds remain available for an extended period.

FISCAL

The text describing the appropriation source was updated from 'moneys' to 'funds'.

TECHNICAL

The bill's title was updated to include 'HD1', and the author's name was changed from Valerie Grey to Chelsea Dugan.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 12, 2026

Committee

Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 229-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem.

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

Referred to JHA, FIN, referral sheet 3

lower

Jan 26, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors